The Honourable Dr. John Haggie, Minister of Justice and Public Safety, today declared a regional state of emergency which includes the following areas:

• Town of Conception Bay South.
• Town of Paradise.
• The areas known as Southlands and Galway, within the City of St. John’s.

Please be prepared to evacuate your community on short notice.

The state of emergency also includes a portion of the Bay de Verde Peninsula, from Bristol’s Hope to Whiteway (the communities in the entirety of the Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde electoral district).

The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre is operating at Level 3. Officials are coordinating the emergency response with all necessary emergency partners and relevant jurisdictions.

Be Prepared
Residents are asked to take steps to ensure their own personal safety. Residents should always have a basic emergency kit available and be prepared for at least 72 hours, with food, water, batteries, a portable radio, important documents and prescription medications. Visit gov.nl.ca/beprepared for more information on emergency preparedness.

Property owners can also protect their homes, neighborhoods, and communities from the threat of wildland fire by creating defensible space around their properties, including:

• Maintaining a five-foot (1.5 metre) non-combustible zone immediately around your home.
• Cleaning out and screening gutters to prevent debris.
• Using fire-resistant roofing materials on homes.
• Cleaning underneath decks and enclosing them to prevent them from filling with debris.
• Placing firewood piles away from your home.
• Trimming grass and weeds.
• Using FireSmart-approved vegetation when landscaping.

Mental Health
An emergency event can lead to fear and anxiety. Mental health resources and supports are available at the reception centre at Carbonear Academy 24/7.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, need support, or are looking for health information, call 811.

If you are feeling anxious and alone, you can also call the Lifewise Provincial Warm Line at 1-855-753-2560 seven days a week from 10:00am to midnight NDT, to speak with a trained peer support worker who is there and ready to listen.

You can also visit Bridge the Gapp to access age-appropriate programs and services that are available locally, confidential and free.

For the most up to date wildfire information, please visit the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s website www.gov.nl.ca, and Provincial Government social media channels on Facebook and on X.

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