Josh Bingle/Reuters
Smoke from a wildfire can be seen above homes in the eastern Canadian community of Labrador City, Newfoundland, Canada, after evacuations were ordered on Friday.
CNN
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Wildfires burning in eastern Canada have burned more than 24,000 acres and forced thousands to flee a Labrador city where at least one hospital has been closed, officials said Saturday.
The “very aggressive inferno” was considered fully contained earlier this week, but weather conditions changed Friday, setting the stage for rapid fire spread, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Fury said in a statement. Facebook Update on Saturday.
The wildfire spread over 22,000 acres and moved about 13 miles in four hours, Furey said.
About 9,500 people have been evacuated from the city of Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador government spokesman Jeremy Reynolds told CNN on Saturday. “A team of essential personnel remains behind to oversee the emergency response,” he added.
The city of Labrador in the northwestern part of the province is remote and about 900 miles north of Canada’s capital, Ottawa.
The fire is burning three miles northwest of Labrador City. Residents have been told to evacuate to the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, a six-hour drive away, Furey said.
A eviction order A release Friday evening said the fire “has the potential to grow significantly closer to western Labrador over the next 24 to 48 hours.” Meanwhile, an evacuation alert has been issued for the neighboring community of Wabush, where residents should be prepared to evacuate at any moment, Furey said.
According to Fury, the wildfires led to the temporary closure of the Labrador West Health Centre. Everyone in the hospital has been safely evacuated, including 45 patients who are being treated in a very serious condition. Those patients have been transferred to facilities in the province, Furey added.
The hospital has announced that it will remain closed until it is fully reopened.
“As walk-in emergency services are not available, ambulances are stationed in the area to respond to emergency calls,” the hospital said in a statement. Press release Saturday.
