A wildfire burning near Kingston grew by nearly 1,000 hectares overnight as crews battle a blaze that is almost 4,895 hectares in size.

Government provided the update ahead of the lunch hour, stressing that weather conditions worked against firefighters with gusts to 50 km/hr.

Officials believe the fire is heading towards Ochre Pit Cove.

Crews from Ontario and Quebec are focusing on the fire, while four water bombers and four helicopters are focusing on the northern edge of it.

Meanwhile, near Martin Lake, crews spent the morning focusing on cabins and the southwestern edge of the fire with ground crews, two water bombers and a bird dog working to douse the flames.

There was no further growth in the fire near Holyrood.

Current Evacuation Orders

• Town of Small Point–Adam’s Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove
• Town of Salmon Cove
• Unincorporated area of Western Bay
• Unincorporated area of Kingston
• Unincorporated area of Perry’s Cove
• Unincorporated area of Ochre Pit Cove
• Unincorporated area of Burnt Point-Gull Island-Northern Bay

Previous story

The weather yesterday in the Conception Bay North area created what officials described as a “challenging” fire suppression effort, as the wildfire near Kingston grew to over 4,000 hectares.

In a fire update yesterday evening, officials say firefighters were pulled from the blaze to make way for heavy smoke and other safety concerns forced crews to fight solely from above.

More crews and aircraft from Quebec and Ontario will be on offer for Sunday.

Meanwhile in Holyrood, the fire had minimal growth through Saturday and is listed as “being held,” with helicopters dumping water on remaining hotspots.

In Central, officials say residents should monitor for updates on the Bay d’Espor Highway, as the efforts near Martin Lake focus on the northern edge of the fire.

There was no reported growth through Saturday.

Further updates on all three fires are expected later today.