Premier says weather co-operating as firefighters attack Labrador City blaze
CTV
A change in wind direction, cooler temperatures and possible precipitation made for favourable conditions for attacking the wildfire threatening Labrador City, the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador said Sunday.
A change in wind direction, cooler temperatures and possible precipitation made for favourable conditions for attacking the wildfire threatening Labrador City, the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador said Sunday.
Andrew Furey told a news conference the blaze that exploded into an inferno on Friday and triggered mass evacuations in the western Labrador town did not significantly grow Saturday night, and a change in weather and wind patterns were "very encouraging."
"The winds have changed to a northeasterly pattern which will blow the fire back on itself and limit its fuel source, which is all very good news," he said.
A number of water bombers and aircraft have been deployed to attack the blaze that had been considered under control earlier in the week.
A sudden change in weather conditions Friday caused the blaze to grow from six to about 100 square kilometres — advancing 21 kilometres toward the town in just four hours.
The premier said despite the progress in suppressing the blaze, it's too early to say when the roughly 7,450 city residents who were ordered to leave Friday night will be allowed to return to their homes.
Furey said Friday the fire became so powerful and aggressive as it was consuming dry fuel that it began to generate its own wind pattern and travelled in the opposite direction of the wind.
