ST. JOHN'S — Residents of a rural Newfoundland town were ordered out of their homes on Wednesday as an out-of-control wildfire burned a few kilometres away.
Premier John Hogan said he issued the evacuation order for Badger, N.L., after weighing the worst-case scenarios for the fire.
"We don't see signs of weather improving over the short term … it's better to be safe than sorry in situations like this," Hogan told reporters during a news conference in St. John's.
"There is some potential forecasts for rain in the next coming days, but we can't really wait on that. That might be too late."
The fire began Tuesday with a lightning strike, officials said. As of early Wednesday afternoon, it encompassed roughly five square km and was burning about four km away from the town.
Badger is in central Newfoundland and the community is home to about 685 people, according to the latest census. Residents were asked to head east to the town of Grand Falls-Windsor, which is about 30 km away by highway.
Hogan said he expected three water bombers to help douse the flames, working in four-hour shifts. Two helicopters are also expected, said Jamie Chippett, deputy minister of the Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Department. However, it was still unsafe to have crews on the ground, Chippett said.
The premier also announced a provincewide ban on outdoor fires, effective immediately.
Wildfires earlier this year destroyed at least 11 homes in the area of Adam's Cove, N.L., which is about 40 km northwest of St. John's.
Last year, fires forced the evacuation of Churchill Falls in Labrador.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
The Canadian Press
