Update June 27, 2024 at 2:00 a.m.
A fire has been raging for several days in Labrador. On Tuesday evening, it began to devour the woods around the Churchill Falls hydroelectric power station. Wednesday, his race continues even if he seems to be losing intensity.
Churchill Falls, a working-class town in Labrador, has been threatened by flames for several days. The hydroelectric plant located there alone supplies 15% of the electricity consumed in Quebec and 25% of that of Newfoundland. The fire made its way across the Churchill River on Tuesday evening and has now reached the woods around the plant.
After a large evacuation of the plant on June 20, a full evacuation order was issued on June 25, forcing remaining staff to leave for safety reasons. Between 80 and 100 people managed the premises and took care of operations and maintenance on the site. The plant is now monitored remotely by other Hydro Newfoundland and Labrador staff, and is operating at reduced capacity.
The fire caused power outages in Labrador City and Wabush, two mining towns near the Quebec border. Power has been restored to most of Labrador City, but residents of Wabush are still without electricity.
A lull?
Although the fire is only 3 kilometers from the community, the joint action of firefighters and favorable weather seems to be bearing fruit. It was downgraded to a category 2 to 3 fire on Wednesday after moving to category 4 on Tuesday.
“We finally have help from Mother Nature,” Prime Minister Andrew Furey said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Favorable winds and a little rain are expected Wednesday evening.
According to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, there are still eight active fires in Labrador, six of which are uncontained.
