A fire that broke out Saturday night at Gosling Lake, outside Happy Valley-Goose Bay, prompted an evacuation of cabins in the area. (Courtesy of Philippe Richard)

Firefighters in central Labrador appeared to have three separate fires under control Monday, the closest of which swept through 75 hectares of forest about 15 kilometres from Happy Valley-Goose Bay Saturday night.

A larger forest fire broke out Saturday night at Gosling Lake, forcing the evacuation of nearby cabins and temporarily closing the road to North West River.

"Big light, red light and a yellow light on this side and the flames … the big smoke [up] there in the sky," said Philippe Richard, describing what he saw from his rental cottage about three kilometres away

Firefighters combed the forest for hot spots Monday while two helicopters and a water bomber dropped water onto the dry forest below.

On Monday, crews rushed to a wooded area just East of Happy Valley-Goose Bay at about noon to quickly contain a brush fire.

Then an hour later, crews were called to a third fire near the regional land fill that was also quickly contained.

RCMP Sgt. Guy Caines said it's unusual to have three fires going at once, but it's too soon to say whether the fires were set deliberately.

"I can't say one way or the other that, you know, there's a root cause behind them," he said.

Fire crews will continue pouring water onto the hot spot Monday evening and then reassess the status of all three fires in the morning.