The municipality of Fermont announced Sunday at midday that the evacuation pre-alert in effect until then had been lifted. The forest fire that is causing havoc north of the city is however still out of control, according to SOPFEU.
“The evacuation pre-alert status for Fermont residents has been lifted,” the municipality announced in a statement posted Sunday around 12:30 p.m. on its social networks. The risks for the city have been considerably reduced in the last 24 hours, thanks to favorable weather conditions – winds blowing in the “right direction”, accompanied by showers.
“However, we ask citizens to remain vigilant and cautious and to continue to follow official announcements, since the situation may change quickly,” the municipality added.
The city’s various mining sites are gradually beginning to resume their activities. They are asking their staff to keep themselves informed of the steps to follow.
Still “out of control”
The fire, which is ravaging the territory of Labrador about 14 kilometres north of the mining town, is still categorized as “out of control” by the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), and the fire danger remains “extreme”. “Only significant amounts of rain will allow a review of this status,” specifies the City. The municipality is therefore maintaining its ban on all types of open-air fires until further notice.
The fire had been considered under control earlier this week, but a sudden change in weather conditions caused the blaze to grow from six to about 100 square kilometres on Friday. It is now nearly 120 km2.
Air quality
Air quality also improved Sunday morning, but the pollution level remains “average” in Fermont, according to the IQAir website.
The Ministry of the Environment said in an air quality bulletin for the city that people most likely to be affected by wildfire smoke should reduce or postpone strenuous outdoor activities or seek medical attention if they develop symptoms. This includes the elderly, pregnant or smoking people, people with chronic health conditions, and infants and young children, among others.
The situation in Labrador City and Wabush
The evacuation order for the town of Labrador City and the pre-alert for Wabush are currently maintained by the Labrador authorities.
At a news briefing on the situation Sunday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said that thanks to favourable weather conditions and efforts to contain the fire, it was contained about 4 to 6 kilometres northwest of Labrador City.
It is too early, however, to say when the town’s roughly 7,450 residents, who were forced to evacuate on Friday night, will be allowed to return home, he added.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan also released a statement Sunday saying he had approved a request for assistance from the province and that Ottawa would mobilize “all necessary federal resources” to fight the fire.
With The Canadian Press