A wildfire is burning near the town of Holyrood, N.L., as of Monday afternoon. (John Pike/CBC)
A wildfire burning near Holyrood, N.L., has forced the closure of a part of Route 60 — a main road that runs through the middle of the community — and is forcing some residents to evacuate, including in neighbouring Conception Bay South.
In a statement on Facebook, the RCMP said the closure begins at Beaumont Place in Holyrood and runs to the bridge at the entrance the town on the C.B.S. side.
Residents from Beaumont Place to the bridge, including all side roads, are being told to evacuate immediately, the town wrote in its post on Facebook.
Central Avalon Ground Search and Rescue has deployed to help with the evacuation of homes in the eastern portion of the town.
Shelter is available at the C.B.S. arena.
Travellers are being asked to take the Trans-Canada Highway as an alternate route.
Water bombers are in the area to attack the blaze.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro’s director of public affairs, Deanne Fisher, told CBC News all non-essential personnel have been evacuated from the Holyrood Thermal Generating Station.
Fisher said the site is secured, and all normal activity at the plant has ceased. Some emergency response personnel remain on site to monitor the plant.
Fisher said the plant was not running on Monday because of annual summer maintenance.
Water bombers are on site in Holyrood. (John Pike/CBC)
Tony Power, a resident of Holyrood, told CBC Radio’s On The Go he’s out of the dangerous area for now, but is packing some items with his wife in the event they might have to leave.
“The southwest wind is taking it away from where we’re to,” Power said.
“The [water] bombers are just load-and-go there.”
The size of the fire is unclear, but Power said it’s his understanding that it might have jumped the road to the Butter Pot Provincial Park side.
C.B.S. residents on notice
Shortly before 6 p.m. NT, C.B.S. Mayor Darrin Bent told CBC News the town is issuing a “cautionary notice” for residents in west of Seal Cove Road, meaning they should be ready to evacuate if the town needs to make that decision.
In an update on social media shortly before 7 p.m. NT, the town issued an evacuation order for the area from 1820 Conception Bay Highway to the western boundary of the community.
Residents from 1375 Conception Bay Highway to 1820 Conception Bay Highway, including all roads in between, are asked to prepare to evacuate should it become necessary.
“This is an evolving situation with this fire, we’re monitoring it very closely and we just want to be ready and let people know that they may be asked to leave their homes at some point if it continues and progresses our way,” Bent said.
Meanwhile, St. John’s Regional Fire Department is advising residents in the St. John’s area the smoke from the fire may affect the air quality east of the fire.
“We recommend that residents turn off air exchangers and HVAC units to help reduce indoor smoke exposure,” the statement reads.
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