6 forest fires burning in Newfoundland as fire ban implemented in St. John’s area

By Heather Gillis
CBC News
July 19, 2022
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Firefighters are on the move across the province Tuesday, getting ready to assess and battle six forest fires in eastern Newfoundland from Conception Bay South to Terra Nova.  That comes as major municipalities on the Avalon Peninsula have issued fire bans preventing people from having open fires or lighting fire pits, charcoal barbecues and chimineas to prevent the possibility of further fires.  The provincial forest fire duty officer, Colin Carroll, believes a series of lightning strikes started the majority of the forest fires, which sparked up after 3 p.m. Monday amid dry ground conditions and fire indices ranging from very high to extreme.  The largest forest fire, near Lake St. John, is 50 hectares, or the equivalent of 123 football fields. It is out of control and burning near some cabins in a remote area south of Thorburn Lake.

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