Crews 'diligent' about fighting Musgrave Harbour wildfire as blaze drags into 2nd week, says duty officer

Wildfires that forced hundreds to flee their homes continue to burn in Newfoundland, but the provincial fire duty officer says both major blazes — one in Chance Harbour and another near Musgrave Harbour — are now under control.

On Friday, the provincial government announced the evacuation for Musgrave Harbour had been lifted and a portion of Chance Harbour Resource Road would reopen on Saturday.

Provincial fire duty officer Mark Lawlor said Monday he's now comfortable that both wildfires will remain under control. 

"We've received significant rain on both sides, so that's really helping out the firefighters. Given that there's rain forecast for central today, that's going to help us as well," he told CBC.

While the fire threatening Musgrave Harbour is being held, Lawlor said crews are still finding hot spots.

"We have to be diligent and keep at that one," he said, noting crews there are deploying helicopters as well as fighting from the ground.

Lawlor said the status of the Chance Harbour fire went from burning out of control to under control over the weekend.

"Crews are still finding some hot spots on the area, although less and less every day," he said, adding crews would be back on site on Monday, with around 20 firefighters and a couple of helicopters.

But he still can't say when people would be allowed back into the area, which was evacuated almost two weeks ago.

"The crews are still working in the area, and there is a bit of a safety concern when we start opening up roads and we have crews in the area," said Lawlor.

"I can't say, but I'm hoping that sooner rather than later that road will be open in Chance Harbour."

He said morale is strong, however.

"Once you get to a point where [we] feel that the fire is sort of under control or being held…. It's a good feeling," said Lawlor.

He said the provincewide fire ban is still in effect, and while there have been reports of open fires, he said the number "hasn't been overly significant."

'This did actually happen'

Evelyn Jess, who is from Musgrave Harbour and lives there part-time, had to evacuate quickly the other week and heard the government announcement she could return Friday.

"People were breathing sighs of relief Friday morning. We weren't expecting to get the news that early that we could return into the town," she told CBC.

She added people anticipated another week of being out of their homes and when they were told they could return, "people couldn't buzz out over the highway fast enough."

Jess returned to the community Sunday and said residents are happy to be back, but there's some disbelief that the evacuation happened.

"The gravity of the situation is … kind of starting to set in now," said Jess.

She hasn't seen any damage while driving around town, but did spot the sprinklers that had been set up as a precautionary measure in case the fire did reach the town's limits.

"That's when it really hit me," she said. "I got really emotional and I was saying, 'My gosh, like, this did actually happen.'"

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