Emergency Alerts

Active: Wildfire in Paddy's Pond Area

Wildfire crews and the St. John's Regional Fire Department are responding to a wildfire at Thomas Pond, near Paddy’s Pond south, which is within the City of St. John’s jurisdiction. The fire is approximately 200-300 hectares. The City of St. John's has initiated an Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) to coordinate response efforts.

A regional state of emergency has been declared by the Minister of Justice and Public Safety for parts of St. John's impacted by the fire, which includes Southlands and Galway. By declaring a regional state of emergency, the Provincial Government can coordinate the activities of all provincial and municipal services in the area and engage personnel as required.

The St. John's Regional Fire Department is providing ground support where necessary. While the fire is within the City boundary, it is also greatly impacting our regional neighbours in Paradise and CBS. The SJRFD and City ready to assist as the situation continues to evolve.

This page has been set up to share the latest information and resources on the following:

Latest Update
Evacuation Alerts & Orders
Advisories and Road Closures
Air Quality
Impact to 2025 Canada Games
Volunteers & Supports
Emergency Preparedness Tips

Mental Health Support

Fire Ban

For the most up to date information on the wildfires, visit www.gov.nl.ca/alerts and follow the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on Facebook and on X.

The SJRFD services St. John's, Mount Pearl and Paradise. Residents in those areas should monitor the Mount Pearl and Paradise websites for updates, which are linked below:

Latest Update - August 14 - 10:45 a.m.

The Paddy’s Pond fire remains active with an estimated size of approximately 300 hectares. The northern fuel break is complete and work will continue today on the east and west boundaries. Air suppression and ground crews will continue to action the fire today. The St. John’s Regional Fire Department will continue to provide supports as necessary. Progress has been which is encouraging, however residents are reminded this is still a very active fire and to monitor official government sources for updates. No flames do not mean no fire or risk.

The evacuation orders for Paddy's Pond Industrial Area and Three Island Pond Area of Paradise remain in effect, with alerts to be ready to evacuate in place for Southlands and Galway areas and parts of Paradise and CBS. Details below on this page.

Premier Hogan also implemented an off-road vehicle ban for forested areas in NL, which will remain in place until at least Aug. 17.

The City would also like to thank the RNC for the quick work in arresting an individual for intentionally setting brush fires in St. John’s.

A fire ban is in effect across Newfoundland and Labrador. Open fires are not permitted.

To report a fire call 911. Report anonymously to Newfoundland and Labrador Crime Stoppers. A $5,000 reward is available to anyone who offers information that leads to the identification and arrest of those responsible for starting a wildfire.

Further information will be provided as it becomes available. Stay safe, stay informed, and monitor local updates for changes.

Evacuation Orders & Alerts

Follow the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for the latest updates at gov.nl.ca/alerts.

Evacuation Order - Paddy's Pond Area

An evacuation order is in place for Paddy’s Pond Industrial Area, including Akita Equipment and surrounding buildings hangers, Cochrane Pond Family Campground, Country Ribbon Chicken Farm, Sod Farm and the Forestry Depot.

Map of Paddy's Pond Evacuation Area

Evacuation Alert - Galway and Southlands Areas

An immediate precautionary evacuation alert has been issued by the City of St. John’s for the Galway and Southlands areas.

Please refer to the list of impacted streets and map linked below for a detailed breakdown of the impacted area:

If you are in these areas, please be ready to evacuate on very short notice.

Residents need to take steps to ensure their own personal safety. Be prepared for at least 72 hours, with a basic emergency kit, including items such as food, water, batteries, a portable radio, important documents and prescription medications.

Residents are advised to take a go bag with them if leaving their property and to make arrangements for pets and/or dependents in the event an evacuation order is issued. If an order is issued while you are away from your home and you have a pet or family member still at home, you will not be allowed back into the area. You should report the location of your loved ones to emergency personnel operating in the area so they can address accordingly.

In the case of an evacuation, the City would work with partnering agencies to facilitate transportation for those who do not own a vehicle or have mobility issues.

Evacuation Order - Three Island Pond Road Area, Paradise

An evacuation order is in place for properties on Three Island Pond Road to the intersection of Buckingham Drive, Ellington Close, Angels Road, Hansen Place, Vanellen Place, Dawes Road, Balsamwood Road, Stokes Road Shalloway Place. SJRFD are on the ground wetting selected areas to help in controlling fire spread.

Learn more by visiting the Town of Paradise Emergency Alert Page.

Other Evacuation Alerts

An evacuation alert is in place for portions of Paradise and CBS as follows:

Town of Paradise: the area on the south side of Topsail Road from the Outer Ring Road exit to CBS boundary.
Town of Conception Bay South: starting at Paradise Outer Ring Road turn-off, on to Route 60 through to Manuels River Bridge, up Peacekeeper’s Way to the cloverleaf on the Trans-Canada Highway and back to the Paradise Trans-Canada Highway turnoff.

Advisories & Road Closures

The Trans-Canada Highway has reopened to traffic. Motorists are advised that should conditions change the roadway may be closed again at short notice. Paddy’s Pond Road and Northern Pond Road remain closed.
Southland's Community Centre will remain closed until the Evacuation Alert in the area is lifted.
Temporary Off-Road Vehicle Restriction in Effect: a province-wide restriction on off-road vehicle use in forested areas is now in effect across Newfoundland and Labrador. This measure is necessary to protect communities and ensure public safety. The restriction applies in areas where the Fire Weather Index is high, very high, or extreme, and will remain in place until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 17, 2025, when it will be reviewed. For full details, including definitions, maps, and updates are available in the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's press release.
Provincial Government Water Advisory: Consumption of water in areas under an evacuation alert or state of emergency is allowable. Any changes will be communicated to the local municipal authority (city, municipality, or local service district) by the Department of Health and Community Services. A precautionary non-consumption advisory is currently in place for private wells in Holyrood that are located within areas impacted by active fire or fire suppression measures. The advisory will be in place until water testing shows satisfactory results. This advisory does not apply to residents of Paradise, Conception Bay South, Southlands and Galway currently under an evacuation alert. The public drinking water systems servicing the City of St. John’s (Bay Bulls Big Pond, Windsor Lake, and Petty Harbour Long Pond) are not impacted.

When deemed safe to do so, water sampling of public systems and private wells on a precautionary non-consumption advisory will be completed, free of charge, by the Water Resources Management Division or in conjunction with the impacted community.

Safe alternate sources of water for drinking, cooking and consumption should be used during the advisory. Bottled water or sources known to be safe would be acceptable. Household water can still be used for washing, cleaning, bathing and other household uses.

When residents currently on evacuation orders are permitted to return to their communities, the Department of Health and Community Services will assess if a precautionary non-consumption advisory is needed.

Questions related to Water Resources can be directed to water@gov.nl.ca.

Air Quality

SJRFD is advising residents that a wildfire near the Paddy’s Pond area is causing drifting smoke into St. John’s and surrounding areas, reducing air quality levels.

Residents are advised to keep windows and doors closed and to turn off air exchangers and HVAC units to help reduce indoor smoke exposure. Please contact 811 or see a health-care provider if you experience any concerning symptoms related to smoke exposure such as a severe cough, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and/or wheezing.

Air quality warnings have been issued for St. John's and vicinity and residents are reminded to continue to monitor active air quality statements.

Impacts to the 2025 Canada Games

The 2025 Canada Games Host Society has made sport venue changes due to the wildfires.

The Host Society and National Sport Organizations continue to assess the situation closely and update the sport schedule as needed. For all updates, download the free 2025 Canada Games app on the Apple App Store or Google Play or visit the news section of the 2025 Canada Games website.

Volunteers & Support

We greatly appreciate the offers of help from residents and community groups as crews work to manage the wildfire near Paddy’s Pond. At this time, volunteers and additional supplies are not required by the City. The best way to support the response is to follow official updates, avoid the area, and allow emergency crews to work safely and efficiently.

Should volunteers or support be required, this would be coordinated through partnering agencies. If you are looking for ways to provide support, please reach out to the Salvation Army and Canadian Red Cross.

The provincial government has set up a dedicated email for people to contact if they have resources that could be used to help with the wildfire response - forestfires2025@gov.nl.ca.

Emergency Preparedness

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.

For individuals with disabilities, additional planning is important to ensure safety before, during, and after an emergency. The Government of Canada's Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities/Special Needs is a great resource to help with 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.

Fire Smart also has great resources, including a Wildfire Evacuation Preparedness Check List.

Mental Health Support

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 10:00 a.m. 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.

Fire Ban

A Provincial Fire Ban is in place until September 7, which means:

No open fires permitted, including those with a permit
No outdoor wood-burning appliances permitted
Propane appliances and charcoal/propane BBQs are permitted only if the units are not used within 3.5 metres of any trees, brush or other flammable material. Coals used while barbecuing, or as part of any other burning unit, must be extinguished before being safely discarded.
A province-wide restriction on off-road vehicle use in forested areas is now in effect across Newfoundland and Labrador. This measure is necessary to protect communities and ensure public safety. The restriction will remain in place until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 17, 2025, when it will be reviewed. For full details, including definitions, maps, and updates are available in the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's press release.

If you witness unauthorized burning activity, please contact Access St. John’s by calling 311 or (709) 754-CITY (2489), email access@stjohns.ca or submit an inquiry online. If the fire you are reporting poses an immediate safety concern, call 911 immediately.

Residents are reminded to regularly check the Provincial Fire Hazard Map provided by the Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture and follow the associated guidelines to practice fire safety. Learn more about these guidelines on our Fire Prevention webpage.