Water bombers and emergency crews are fighting the out of control forest fire in Chance Harbour on the Bonavista Peninsula, as residents are still asked to avoid the area.

According to the Department of Forestry as of Monday night the fire now covers an area of approximately 1,200 hectares, and some cabins in the area have been lost to fire.

Officials say winds are pushing the fire to the coast away from the communities of Jamestown and Winterbrook.

Fire behaviour analysts are predicting active fire behaviour for the next several days, but wind forecasts remain favourable. The department says it will have three water bombers, a bird dog aircraft, and helicopters actioning the fire Tuesday, with an Incident Management Team and Ground Crews being put in place.