ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — With rain coming down in central Labrador and temperatures dropping, the wildfire near Churchill Falls has been downgraded, although fire officials say there's still work to be done to keep the flames at bay.
Laurie Holloway, Newfoundland and Labrador fire duty officer, said officials still need to get a better handle on the perimeter of the blaze before it can be considered to be "held," or no longer spreading. She said more suppression of ground fires around the perimeter will be required in the coming days.
This as crews made their way into the small town Thursday evening to address health and safety concerns, as well as begin initial preparations.
With 14 millimetres of rain in central Labrador on Thursday, Holloway said helicopters and water bombers remain on site. Though visibility was too low for water bombers, helicopters were dumping water from buckets as conditions allowed.
"The weather is in our favour right now, but we still have a lot of work to do on the fire," she said.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey wrote on the X social media platform Wednesday night that fire crews were monitoring the situation, while Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro continues to protect the power supply from Churchill Falls.
The premier said the fire, which reached Category 4 at its peak, was down to Category 1, the lowest on a scale that goes up to six. A Category 1 fire is still smouldering at or near ground level.
Power was restored on Wednesday to Wabush in western Labrador after a break in the flames allowed utility workers to reach the Churchill Falls hydroelectric generating station.
The fire had knocked out power from two of the plant's transmission lines on Tuesday, the same day the flames jumped the Churchill River and advanced toward the town, forcing the evacuation of the skeleton crew operating the plant.
Two mines in western Labrador are also back in operation after they were hit by the power outage.
In an update on its website Thursday, the town of Churchill Falls said forestry officials were optimistic about the fire's status in the coming days, although it was still classified as out of control on the province's active fire dashboard. The fire was still about three kilometres away from the town.
Homes and buildings in Churchill Falls had not been damaged by the fire, the town said, and the power plant was continuing operations at a reduced load. The evacuation order for Churchill Falls remained in effect for residents and workers.
The province reopened the Trans-Labrador Highway through Churchill Falls on Thursday, though service stations and recharging stations remained closed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.
—By Cassidy McMackon in Halifax
The Canadian Press
