LABRADOR CITY    -   A wildfire burning in eastern Canada has scorched more than 24,000 acres and forced thousands to flee the Town of Labrador City, where at least one hospital has been closed, officials said Saturday.

The “extremely aggressive inferno” was deemed fully under control earlier this week, but weather conditions shifted Friday, setting the stage for rapid fire spread, Premier of New­foundland and Labrador Andrew Furey said in a Facebook update Saturday. The wildfire ex­ploded 22,000 acres in size, moving about 13 miles in just four hours, Furey said. Ad Feedback Around 9,500 people have been evacuated from Labrador City, Jeremy Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Government of Newfoundland and Labra­dor, told CNN Saturday. “A contingent of essential personnel have remained behind to oversee the emergency response,” he added.

The Town of Labrador City, in the northwestern part of the province, is remote and sits about 900 miles north of Canada’s capital city of Ottawa.

The fire is spreading just three miles north­west of Labrador City. Residents have been told to evacuate to the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay – a six-hour drive away, Furey said. An evacu­ation order posted Friday evening said the fire had the “potential to grow significantly closer to Labrador West over the next 24 to 48 hours.” Meanwhile, an evacuation alert has been is­sued for the neighboring community of Wabush, where residents should be prepared to evacuate at any moment, Furey said. The wildfire has also led to the temporary closure of Labrador West Health Centre, according to Furey. Everyone in the hospital has been safely evacuated, includ­ing 45 patients receiving care for more serious conditions. Those patients have been moved to facilities within the province, Furey added. The hospital announced it would remain closed un­til it is safe to fully reopen. “Ambulances are sta­tioned in the area to respond to emergency calls as walk-in emergency services are not available,” the hospital said in a news release Saturday.