Explosions rock Happy Valley-Goose Bay as residents ordered to leave area threatened by fire

Police in Happy ValleyGoose Bay, N.L., have de‐ clared a state of emer‐ gency following "several ex‐ plosions" at the site of an uncontrolled fire burning near explosive material.

"Emergency services are on the scene of a large struc‐ ture fire," a provincial emer‐ gency alert warned late Friday. "There have been sev‐ eral explosions."

There are no reports of in‐ juries from the fire that broke out on Friday evening at the north end of Happy ValleyGoose Bay near abandoned buildings at the former air‐ port.

Residents are being asked to remain at least a kilometre away from the area that ex‐ tends from the end of the air‐ port to the docks, as fire crews work to extinguish the blaze.

WATCH | Uncontrolled fire in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., sparks several ex‐ plosions:

Area residents told to evacuate homes

"We are dealing with a fire emergency situation in our community," Mayor George Andrews said in a video posted to the town's Face‐ book page.

Andrews said several buildings have been affected by the fire, and he urged resi‐ dents on the north side to immediately evacuate. Any‐ one requiring evacuation as‐ sistance is to call 709-8963084.

The RCMP said the follow‐ ing streets are directly im‐ pacted:

Halifax Street Toronto Street Winnipeg Street Ot‐ tawa Avenue London Street

"In the interest of public safety, homeowners are strongly encouraged not to attend their properties at this time," the RCMP said in a statement late Friday.

In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, N.L. Pre‐ mier Andrew Furey said he has spoken with MHA Perry Trimper and offered full sup‐ port to Andrews.

"We will be there to help in any way we can," the pre‐ mier said.

The scramble to get out Monica Lake told CBC News she was watching the fire from her back deck with her husband when RCMP ar‐ rived at their home and told them they had to evacuate.

She said they scrambled to gather some belongings and their six dogs, and to alert other people who lived with them.

"We made sure that they were in their vehicles and on their way and gone before we left," Lake said.

She noted that before she left, she also rushed to alert neighbours that they had to leave because she was con‐ cerned the RCMP officers who told her to evacuate hadn't gone to other homes in the area. She said the area is zoned as a commercial, but that there are a number of residences as well.

Lake says she's concerned about the fate of her home now after hearing a very large bang come from the area.

"It's going to be a very, very long night," she said. "I'm just on pins and needles worrying about everything."

WATCH | Residents wit‐ ness fire before area closed off:

SPCA had to relocate an‐ imals

The Happy Valley-Goose Bay SPCA is also located in the vicinity. Bonnie Learning, the organization's vice-presi‐ dent, told CBC News the situ‐ ation was manageable be‐ cause the shelter wasn't full.

"All of our animals, right now, are sorted out," Learn‐ ing said. "We'll just have to play it by ear in regard to the situation, in terms of getting back into the shelter."

She hopes that will be in the next 24 to 48 hours, but said they have places for the animals to stay should it take longer.

"We're confident that things will be OK and please be to God everyone will be safe and all the first respon‐ ders on site will be safe and nothing really crazy or cata‐ strophic is going to happen."