Crews continued to battle several raging forest fires in central Newfoundland throughout the weekend.

And they received some welcome help, with two more air tankers and seven crew arriving from Quebec on Sunday.

While no communities are currently in the direct path of the flames, officials are concerned the fires may merge into one larger threat.

A state of emergency has been declared for Grand Falls-Windsor, Botwood, Bishop’s Falls and the Connaigre Peninsula due to concerns with air quality and the impact of smoke from the fires.

Two more air tankers and another seven personnel have arrived from Quebec to join efforts to help fight the forest fires in Central NL. # #GovNL #nlwx #nltraffic #Quebec pic.twitter.com/1XyWei0lfx

— Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture NL (@FFA_GovNL) August 7, 2022

As well, an open-fire ban for central and eastern Newfoundland has now been extended to include the entire province.

A so-called fire break is also being cleared along the Nalcor transmission line, with help from workers at the Beaver Brook Antimony Mine.

Much of the Connaigre Peninsula continues to be cut off from the TCH with the closure of the Bay D’Espoir Highway. As a result, the Canadian Red Cross has relocated a shelter and resources from Grand Falls-Windsor to Deer Lake.

The relocation includes those affected by the highway closure and poor air quality in area.

A congregate shelter was made available at the Hodder Memorial Centre in Deer Lake as of 7 p.m. Sunday night.

More information on the emergency lodging is available by calling 1-800-222-9597.

A big thank you to our incredibly hard-working teams who have been battling the forest fires in Central Newfoundland, and all of those helping to keep people safe.

To protect resources, the fire ban has been extended provincewide: https://t.co/GeZQlHUrk8 #nlwx pic.twitter.com/DRRKsoJCsA

— Andrew Furey (@FureyAndrew) August 7, 2022

Also, Central Health says some patients and residents of long-term care will be moved to a facility in the Eastern Health or Western Health region due to deteriorating conditions.

Officials say they will reach out to the listed ‘person to notify’ if a transfer is necessary.

Meanwhile, Premier Andrew Furey says a ferry is on its way to provide service from Fortune to Hermitage to re-establish some connection for that area.

The Sound of Islay is travelling from Lewisporte to Fortune to begin moving supplies to the region via Hermitage in the event Route 360 remains closed this week.

The vessel will also transport vehicles and passengers who need to depart the region on its return trips to Fortune.

The ferry is expected to arrive in Fortune on Tuesday, with trips arranged based on priority by the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre.

There are currently three forest fires burning out of control in central Newfoundland, with the most significant in the area of Paradise Lake and the Bay D’Espoir Highway.

Furey says those two fires are still burning separately but the concern is they will eventually merge into one.

The largest burn is estimated to be 100 square kilometres, or about the size of Gander.

Furey says if evacuations are necessary, the federal government has pledged its support.

I have approved a Request for Federal Assistance from @GovNL in response to active wildfires in the province. Our @CanadianForces personnel will work with provincial and municipal officials to plan and coordinate evacuation and movement operations from affected areas.

— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) August 7, 2022

Officials say they are anticipating a challenging day as crews work to prevent the fires from threatening nearby towns such as Grand Falls-Windsor.

The fires were estimated to be about 20 kilometres from the town as of early Sunday afternoon.

Furey says while smoke is a concern, hot embers and ash are also threats to properties in the area.

Officials are asking people to be “fire smart” by cutting down grass, clearing mulch, trimming trees near homes, and removing any flammables or other debris.

Residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, said the premier.