With thousands of people on evacuation alert, the Canadian Red Cross is stressing the importance of preparing should you receive the dreaded evacuation order.
Residents of large portions of CBS and Paradise are on evacuation alert in light of the out of control Paddy’s Pond fire.
Vice President of the Canadian Red Cross in Atlantic Canada, Bill Lawlor says that includes planning about where you’re going to go and how you’re going to get there.
Bill Lawlor (Submitted)
He says if you haven’t yet, now is the time to reach out to family and friends who live well outside the evacuation zone and make alternate arrangements.
If that’s not possible, the Canadian Red Cross is there to help.
He says the key is to listen to public authorities and the alerts that they issue “because they will advise you exactly where to go, if there’s going to be a reception centre opened.”
Lawlor says make sure you have what you need including medication, clothing and important papers including passports and your insurance policy.
All evacuees, when the evacuation order is issued, should register with the Canadian Red Cross.
Situation Worrisome for Residents of Conception Bay South, Paradise
Conception Bay South Town Hall
The mayor of CBS says there are 15,000 people in his town and Paradise currently on evacuation alert due to the threat posed by the Paddy’s Pond fire.
Darrin Bent calls the situation very worrisome.
“To be told that in a moment’s notice you have to leave all your worldly possessions behind, and find somewhere else to be, and then you wait. And there’s nothing else you can do, and that’s absolutely a terrible situation to be in, but here we are.”
He’s urging residents that the best thing they can do is follow the instructions of authorities closely.
As of this morning, the Paddy’s Pond fire had not progressed toward CBS, but is still listed as out of control.
“It’s a big concern, because as we know, and as our friends in CBN know, these things can change on a dime, and then of course an alert changes to an order and we’re into a completely different ballgame then.”
Areas of Conception Bay South and Paradise under evacuation alert (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)
Residents of Paradise south of Topsail Road are part of the evacuation alert.
Mayor Dan Bobbett says the town has set up notification system, in coordination with the province, to provide the latest information to residents.
He says they’ve set up a notification system. “You can sign up, so then you can get notifications come directly to your personal devices,” says Bobbett. “In emergencies like this, it’s crucial.”
Residents can sign up for the service through the Town of Paradise website.
