Some traffic is moving through the Bay d’Espoir Highway after forest fires forced the closure of the road—40 km south of the TCH—for two days.
Transportation Minister Elvis Loveless says officials will continue escorting traffic through the area as conditions allow—depending on the location of waterbombers, crew and the fire,
He says traffic will be moved one side at a time. Loveless says traffic began moving from the north side shortly before 9 a.m.
Crews at the forest fire sites on the Bay D’Espoir Highway (Rt 360) will begin escorting traffic through when conditions allow. Officials will move one side of the route at a time. Please have patience and keep safety top of mind. #GOVNL pic.twitter.com/8CLh5gttpG
— Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture NL (@FFA_GovNL) July 26, 2022
Premier Andrew Furey says the province has been providing emergency supports, such as transportation and medical services, for those cut off by the wildfires.
He wants to reassure people on the Bay d’Espoir Peninsula that they are working hard and are there to support them—noting that he personally has been in contact with representatives in Conne River and Harbour Breton.
Rodney Barney, a meteorologist with the Gander Weather Office, says there’s a risk of lightning in the area today.
There is also reduced air quality in the greater central region because of smoke from the fires.
Barney says the most extreme of the heat wave has left us. It will be breezy in some areas, including the Avalon, but temperatures will trend downward this evening especially west of the Avalon going down to the low to mid-teens overnight.
A couple of recent Bay d’Espoir forest fire/ highway updates from Transportation Minister, Elvis Loveless via his Facebook Feed: @VOCMBen @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/gF2AVnoDQ3
— Gerri Lynn Mackey (@GerriLynnMackey) July 26, 2022
