SMALL POINT-ADAM'S COVE-BLACKHEAD-BROAD COVE — People in Newfoundland returned on Friday to communities hardest hit by a massive wildfire, in some cases finding nothing left of their homes but concrete foundations and still-standing chimneys.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government lifted the last of its evacuation orders in Conception Bay North, allowing residents of Western Bay, Ochre Pit Cove, and Northern Bay to go home. People could be seen walking slowly around their blackened properties, wiping tears from their eyes.
All that remained of some houses were concrete foundations and brick chimneys, portions of which remained upright amid piles of ash and rubble. A 60-student elementary school in Western Bay was reduced to an expanse of twisted metal, blackened siding and two still-standing door frames.
The fire destroyed nearly 200 structures in several communities along a 15-kilometre stretch of coastline on the northwest shore of Conception Bay.
"It's very difficult to understand," said Roger Gillingham, chief of the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department. He spoke to reporters in the amalgamated municipality of Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove, where residents were allowed to return home on Thursday.
"We've never seen anything like this before, and hopefully we'll never see it again."
The fire in Conception Bay North, also called the north shore, began Aug. 3 near Kingston, N.L. It was the second fire in the area — the first, in May, destroyed about 11 homes in Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove.
Another 33 homes were lost in the community to the Kingston fire, said Curtis Delaney, the municipality's mayor. It's significant hit for a town of about 415 people, Delaney said.
"It's devastation here," he told reporters. "When there's nothing left but a foundation full of ash, it strikes you really hard. And to know that there's some people that basically all they have is what they left with … it's trying to come to grips with that."
Western Bay and Ochre Pit Cove, which are next to each other, lost a combined 145 structures. There are roughly 250 houses in the two communities, according to Newfoundland and Labrador's community accounts data.
Volunteer fire fighters from across Newfoundland and Labrador pitched in to help provincial and national crews fight the north shore fire, which was classified as being held on Friday, Gillingham said.
"We have a number of members who have actually lost homes … We have firefighters who've lost everything," Gillingham said.
Much of Atlantic Canada saw sweltering temperatures and persistent drought-like conditions this summer, particularly in August.
In Nova Scotia, premier Tim Houston announced Friday an end to restrictions on hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods in some parts of the province, including Cape Breton Island. The restrictions were announced Aug. 5 because of dry conditions and elevated wildfire risk.
“For some areas of the province the (fire risk) index is no longer extreme,” Houston said. “For other areas of the province, I’m sorry but the risk remains high.”
Meanwhile, efforts continued to prevent the spread of a large out-of-control wildfire in the Annapolis Valley. The Long Lake fire, which is burning an area just over 82 square kilometres in size, has destroyed 20 homes.
Dry conditions were challenging for fire crews in eastern Newfoundland. There are no fire hydrants in the small communities in Conception Bay North and fire crews had to get water from local brooks and ponds, Delaney said. The drought-like conditions made that challenging at times, and the provincial government had to send in tanker trucks full of water, he said.
He is anxious for the rebuilding to begin, but he acknowledged that it will take a long time and a lot of work. He said he worries the longer people are away from the community, living in temporary accommodations, the more unlikely they may be to return.
"You know, roots run deep on this shore, and I think if people can come back and people can stay here, they probably will," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2025.
-- With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax
Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
