ST. JOHN'S — The size of the three wildfires burning out of control in Newfoundland held steady overnight Friday as a period of dry, searing temperatures came to an end.
Still, officials issued a new precautionary evacuation alert on Saturday morning, asking residents of Freshwater, N.L., to be prepared to leave their homes on short notice as the province's largest wildfire, known as the Kingston fire, burned nearby.
The wildfire encompassed an area of about 95 square kilometres, according to the provincial wildfire dashboard.
"The RCMP and municipalities, where applicable, along with the support of government officials, continue to assess damages and losses," said a news release from the provincial Forestry Department. "Government officials will be reaching out to those residents who have lost their dwelling as information is available."
After days of heat warnings and temperatures around 30 C, rain fell in parts of Newfoundland Thursday, prompting people in fire areas to share videos of downpours on social media with messages of relief and gratitude.
A video of people dancing and cheering in the rain outside a retirement home in Carbonear, N.L., near the Kingston fire, quickly went viral.
As of Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada had issued a frost advisory for Saturday night, warning that much of Newfoundland should prepare for patchy frost and temperatures as low as 2 C in low-lying areas.
But officials warned the fight was not over yet.
"While some rainfall did reach the region, it was not substantial, though it did provide slight relief to firefighting crews on the ground," said a social media post Friday night from the Town of Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove, an amalgamation of several communities in the heart of the Kingston fire, on the northwest coast of Conception Bay.
News that the fire had not grown larger that day offered "a small but welcome reprieve," the town said.
The Kingston fire has forced about 3,000 people from their homes and destroyed an estimated 100 houses and structures, including a 60-student elementary school.
Officials said a favourable shift in wind conditions would allow ground crews to start attacking the fire's northern edge on Saturday.
A fire burning roughly 15 kilometres southwest of downtown St. John's remained "very smoky," officials said. Crews including firefighters from the Canadian Armed Forces were building a fuel break and dousing hot spots, a news release said.
In northern New Brunswick, a wildfire north of Miramichi prompted officials Friday night to ask residents of Lavillette to be prepared to evacuate on short notice.
The provincial government says there are 30 active fires across New Brunswick, six of which are burning out of control.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025.
The Canadian Press
