It is raining in Labrador City, which comes as welcome news as crews battle an out-of-control fire that continues to threaten the town.
Mayor Belinda Adams says she has never been happier to stand in the rain.
Adams says the fire is currently listed as a Category 1, but that doesn’t mean the town is out of the woods yet.
She says the fire is still very hot and is listed as out of control, meaning it is not safe for anyone to return yet.
Adams says suppression efforts went well yesterday, and she hopes they can get some crews on the ground today.
She says the waterbombers and helicopters do great work, but its the ground crews and mother nature that will put the fire out.
Efforts continue to fight the forest fire from the ground and the air. Premier Andrew Furey says the national resource pool of firefighting capabilities does not allow for the same level of deployment to Newfoundland and Labrador as with Churchill Falls because of the greater number of forest fires across Canada.
Furey says our Maritime cousin, New Brunswick, is sending personnel to Labrador to help out.
He says he spoke with Premier Blaine Higgs who is sending 20 to 40 firefighters. Furey says he will consider sending more if more are needed.
The forest fire in Labrador West has also made things tough on the twin town of Wabush, even though they have not had to evacuate. Many of the key services in the region are located in Lab City.
Wabush Mayor Ron Barron says they are maintaining supply lines for essentials such as groceries, fuel and pharmaceuticals. The temporary medical clinic has also been set up at the rec centre as the hospital in Lab City is closed. Mayor Barron notes that an appointment is needed to avail of the services. He is asking residents to call 811 so that they can set up a time for an assessment.
The Wabush Employment Centre offices will be closed until further notice. Those who need help are asked to call the office in Happy Valley-Goose Bay at 709-896-8846 or 1-800-563-6600.
The Provincial Court in Wabush is also closed.
