SMALL POINT-ADAM'S COVE-BLACKHEAD-BROAD COVE — Luo Xu is convinced that his family's home in eastern Newfoundland has been destroyed by a wildfire. He watched live footage from a security camera on Saturday night as smoke and flames engulfed the screen before it went dark. "I don’t think any words could ever be able to describe my feelings about watching our own house burning," Xu said in an interview on Monday.

As of Saturday, there were seven active wildfires in Newfoundland and Labrador, with five in Newfoundland and two in Labrador. The largest fire, which has spread into Western Bay, has prompted the evacuation of approximately 3,000 residents. Xu believes his home, where he lived with his wife and two young children, was lost around 6 p.m. on Saturday. "The camera sits inside the house, right by the front window, so I know it’s gone. Even if it’s not fully gone, it’s badly burned. It will be a total loss," he stated.

Provincial officials reported that thick smoke in communities along the northwestern shore of Conception Bay, including Western Bay, has hindered efforts to assess the damage and count the number of destroyed homes. Xu and his family had previously evacuated in May due to an earlier wildfire threat. They are currently staying in Carbonear. "The evacuation centre, it’s like a big family," Xu said. "We all go there and have a little chat and just try to be positive. We will try to get through this disaster together."

Mark Lawlor, a provincial fire duty officer, noted that the Kingston fire, which began over a week ago, has expanded to about 52 square kilometers. In Ochre Pit Cove, about 13 kilometers north of Kingston, the local Red Ochre Cafe has become a command post for firefighting efforts. Cafe owner Ray Dwyer expressed concern for his neighbors. "It’s scary for everybody," he said. "Everyone’s evacuated and they don’t know how their properties are. Half the north shore here is scorched. It’s strange when you go up the road and there’s not a person, not an animal. It’s just pretty desolate."

Dwyer, who has managed the cafe for six years, reported that his 13 employees are currently without work due to the evacuation and power outages. "I had five great big freezers full and I have to go throw it away," he said. "The worst part about it is my employees have no income. It’s got me killed that I can’t help them."

In Freshwater, N.L., resident Bonnie Parsons, 60, remarked on the unusual heat and dryness this summer. "The grass in my community is so dry it scrunches beneath your feet," she said. Parsons, who has been visiting older evacuees at a school in Carbonear, described the situation as devastating. "They are sitting there … and they don’t know if they’ve got anything to go back to," she added.

Premier John Hogan addressed the media in St. John’s, stating that crews fighting the Kingston fire are facing high winds and soaring temperatures that have exacerbated the situation. "The firefighters and heavy equipment are continuing to work … to expand the fuel break on the southern edge of the fire," he said. However, officials could not provide an estimate of the number of homes or buildings lost to the fires or the current number of evacuees.

Hogan announced that two additional water bombers from Ontario were expected to arrive on Monday, and the Canadian Armed Forces would increase its firefighting personnel from 40 to 80 by Tuesday. In response to the wildfire threat, the provincial government in Prince Edward Island has banned all types of open fires, including campfires and bonfires, effective Monday. This ban applies to private property and all provincial parks, with violations carrying a fine of up to $50,000. Environment Minister Gilles Arsenault emphasized the need for safety measures due to ongoing forest fires in other provinces and the hot, dry weather in P.E.I.