After Churchill Falls fire jumps river, officials hope for rain to help firefighting efforts

Alex Kennedy, Elizabeth Whitten | Posted: June 25, 2024 11:32 AM | Last Updated: June 26

Rain expected in Wednesday's forecast after essential workers were told to evacuate

Image | Churchill Falls fire June 25

Caption: The fire nearest Churchill Falls, pictured here late Tuesday afternoon, has jumped the river that had provided a barrier from the town. (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)

Water bombers were pulled off a growing fire near Churchill Falls on Tuesday evening, as a fire duty officer in Newfoundland and Labrador says they were ineffective against the sheer heat of the fast spreading fire.

Mark Lawlor told CBC News that the fire has burned across the Trans-Labrador Highway and is now nearing the airstrip that services Churchill Falls.

"We had Rank 5, Rank 6 fire there today. Those are the highest ranks we have, which indicates a fast moving, hot fire," Lawlor said, referring to how burning wildfires are categorized.

"They tried some indirect attack on it, and then after that we pulled them out. It was being ineffective on the fire."

At a news conference Tuesday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said the fire had jumped the Churchill River but still remains about seven kilometres from the town, as of around 3 p.m. NT. It was a Category 4 fire at that time.

"The fire has jumped the river, which is what we were trying to prevent. It's what we were all hoping wouldn't happen," Furey said in St. John's.

"So there is very much a heightened level of risk of fire propagation now on the community side of the river," he said. "We'll continue to provide mitigation efforts on both sides of the river, and we hope that that will contain the fire."

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All personnel had been evacuated as of 6:15 p.m. NT. The fire has closed the Trans-Labrador Highway from Labrador City and Wabush to Churchill Falls.

Anyone evacuating Churchill Falls is asked to check in at the YMCA in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, according to Lake Melville MHA Perry Trimper in a Facebook post. Those travelling to Labrador West should check in at the local Royal Newfoundland Constabulary detachment.

Between 80 and 100 people remained in the community to operate the town's power plant, including operations and site services, fire services and clearing work for a fire break currently under construction.

Susan Chislett was one of the plant workers deemed essential. One day after she was allowed to return to her home, she was back in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

She worked a morning shift before she was told to leave, and said workers could feel the wind and heat rising as the day went on.

Image | Susan Chislett

Caption: Susan Chislett returned to Churchill Falls after being deemed an essential worker, but travelled back to Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Tuesday after being evacuated for a second time. (Heidi Atter/CBC)

"We saw the ground crew, firemen and, you know, different professionals that were there to take care of this fire. And it was then when we saw them covered in, you know, soot. And just looking like they've been running through the ringer, really," she said.

"I grabbed some personal things. That of my husband, some old Bibles from his grandmother, some cross stitches of my husband and my daughter that are irreplaceable. It was surreal."

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro told CBC News that workers deemed essential will be the last to leave the town, but officials aren't sure how long that will take.

Much of the town's population of around 750 people was evacuated last Wednesday.

WATCH | Furey says wildfire jumping the river is very concerning:

Media Video | We hoped and prayed the fire would stay on the other side of river: Furey

Caption: A wildfire that launched the evacuation of Churchill Falls last week jumped the river on Tuesday, a move Premier Andrew Furey called very concerning. The fire has grown from a Category 2 fire to a Category 4. Firefighting efforts continue on both sides of the water.

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Jamie Chippett, deputy minister of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture, said attention now shifts to fighting the leading edge of the fire provided it doesn't get worse.

"If we can keep the fire from getting to Level 5 or a Level 6, then I think we would be working hard, similar to what we've been doing before," he said.

"If we get to a five or a six in classification, it's really at the limit or beyond the limit of bombers being able to be in the air."

Rain is expected in the forecast for Wednesday, which Lawlor said will allow for officials and firefighters to regroup.

'Planning for this eventuality'

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro CEO Jennifer Williams said workers have been preparing for changes to the status quo.

"We were planning for this eventuality," she said. "That is why we made adjustments at the plant last night."

As a precautionary measure, Hydro had begun releasing water at its Churchill Falls power plant Monday night in case the Crown corporation needed to remove even more staff from an evacuated community already under serious fire threat.

"We will definitely continue to take direction from the officials, but in our planning scenarios we are planning for hotel rooms, we are planning for charter flights arranged and on standby," Williams told reporters.

Image | Water Spillage

Caption: Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro began releasing water from the upper Churchill reservoir at the Jacopie Spillway on Monday. This image was taken in 2021, when water was released. (Peter Cowan/CBC)

Hydro had also already started reducing energy loads in anticipation of further evacuations. The release of water will also help beleaguered crews who face another hot, rainless day while trying to control the fire.

On Monday night, the Crown corporation announced it was doing a controlled water release from the upper Churchill reservoir at the Jacopie Spillway for an unknown amount of time.

In the event the plant goes to remote operations, not as much water will go through the turbines. Spilling water prevents water in the reservoir from rising too high.

The statement said water management is a part of protecting the plant's assets.

Image | Jennifer Williams

Caption: Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro CEO Jennifer Williams says work is continuing to ensure parts of the Churchill Falls power plant can be operated remotely. (Peter Cowan/CBC)

Williams said the plant is operating at a much lower operating load than usual. N.L. Hydro has notified customers that they should keep their energy usage around the same levels for the time being to keep things as close to the status quo.

Crews have also been working to give the plant, which was designed in the late 1960s, a limited ability to be controlled remotely.

Lab West without power due to fires

As of Tuesday morning, Churchill Falls generation was at 1,462 megawatts, according to Hydro's website. Earlier this week, the rate was 3,000 megawatts.

Power outages have been reported in Labrador City and Wabush on Tuesday evening, with Hydro saying on social media that they're related to the fires.

Hydro's power outage centre says two lines have tripped, affecting Labrador West and Churchill Falls. A connection is being established with Hydro-Qubec to serve some of that load.

"This supply may not be adequate for all our residential customers, hence there might be a need for rotating power outages. Unfortunately, our industrial customers will have to continue experiencing the outage," the statement said.

A later update said crews are working to restore power in Labrador City through a connection to Fermont, Que., but added that residents of Wabush will be without power for an extended period of time.

The update said conditions are not safe for crews to work where the lines are impacted and that backup power from Quebec isn't an option for Wabush.

Labrador City Mayor Belinda Adams said town staff are working to ensure the impact is minimal.

"The first real impact we've had is the power outage. So we have to work now diligently through that to keep our finger on the pulse. Make sure if there's anything else that happens in the future," Adams said Tuesday evening.

Image | Cars lineup

Caption: A long line of vehicles formed at the gas station in Labrador City shortly after the power went out. (Darryl Dinn/CBC)

"We will get through this together, and we'll help where we can on both sides."

As a safety measure, the N.L. Hydro statement advises people to avoid the Jacopie and Whitefish spillways, the Churchill River bed downstream of the spillway, the Churchill River walking trail, as well as the east and west forebay water storage areas north of the town.

It added that Tuesday will be a "critical" day to fight the out-of-control fire that is on the doorstep of one of North America's largest power plants.

Provincial forest fire duty officer Mark Lawlor said Tuesday that pumping additional water into the river valley will help firefighting efforts because it increases the region's humidity.

Despite growing wildfires, N.L. Hydro says it's business as usual at Churchill Falls power plant

Fire ban issued for Newfoundland and most of Labrador

"Any moisture in the area is a help," he told CBC News.

The additional water would also increase the width of the river, thereby covering fuel that the fire could feed on, Lawlor added.

According to the Newfoundland and Labrador government's active fire dashboard, there are nine fires Tuesday in Labrador and one in Newfoundland, which is now under control.

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