There is joy and heartache as residents of a portion of fire-ravaged Conception Bay North are finally allowed back to their homes and to assess their properties.
The evacuation alert was lifted yesterday for Kingston and the town of Small Point-Broad Cove-Blackhead-Adam’s Cove.
The region is no stranger to destructive fires. A similar fire tore through Small Point and part of Adam’s Cove in May, destroying a couple of dozen structures including some homes.
Another fire on August 3, which started in the same general area, was fueled by high temperatures, strong winds and drought conditions that left trees and vegetation tinder dry. It roared through nine communities virtually unimpeded.
Despite the efforts of firefighters, its progress wasn’t halted until two weeks later when winds finally turned from the north. By that time it had reached Northern Bay, some 15 km away. It had already destroying hundreds of structures including close to 200 homes.
Now that the evacuation order is lifted in part of the affected fire zone, VOCM News will join a media tour of the area this morning.
Looking south on the fires in Conception Bay North (via Community Sector Council)
Meanwhile, government has partially lifted the regional state of emergency on the Bay de Verde Peninsula.
The state of emergency is lifted for all communities except for Western Bay, Ochre Pit Cove, and areas south of the Northern Bay Brook Bridge in Northern Bay.
Those communities are also still under an evacuation order.
The precautionary evacuation alerts for Perry’s Cove, Salmon Cove, Victoria, Burnt Point and Gull Island have been lifted as well.
