28 active wildfires burning in New Brunswick, 5 out of control

Some forestry businesses are allowed to resume work as wildfires burn across New Brunswick.

The New Brunswick government says 28 active wildfires are burning in the province Tuesday night, down from 33 active wildfires Tuesday morning.

Of those:

• one fire is under control
• four are being monitored
• three are contained
• 15 are being patrolled

Five wildfires are still out of control:

• 250 - Chief’s
• 256 - Beaver Lake Stream
• 273 - Lovalls Lake
• 281 - Rocky Brook
• 284 - Green Brook

The province says the situation may change and numbers may evolve throughout the day.

The government is asking people to avoid travelling in the affected areas unless necessary to allow emergency crews to do their work.

It is also reminding residents that a provincewide ban on open fires will remain in place until New Brunswick sees “steady, soaking rain across affected areas.”

“The situation remains serious in New Brunswick,” Natural Resources Minister John Herron said during a news conference Monday.

“Firefighters have their hands full and we appreciate the teams coming from across Canada to help us.”

No structures have been lost due to the wildfires in the province and there have been no serious injuries.

The province has created a new phone line for people who have questions about the wildfire: 1-833-301-0334. Information is also available on the Fire Watch page and the Public Fires Dashboard.

Oldfield Road fire contained

A wildfire that has been burning in the Miramichi area for nearly two weeks became contained Monday morning.

Herron said as many as 13 bulldozers and other tractors managed to build a firewall around the fire and water bombers attacked the wildfire over the weekend. Those resources, combined with some much-needed rain, helped to contain the province’s largest wildfire.

The Oldfield Road fire first started on Aug. 6. It is still estimated to be roughly 1,402 hectares. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Evacuations

There are no evacuation orders in effect at this time.

Residents living in areas close to wildfire activity are advised to be prepared to evacuate on short notice and prepare an emergency kit just in case.

The kit should include necessities for at least 72 hours, such as:

• water
• food
• flashlight
• radio
• batteries
• first aid
• masks (for smoke filtration)
• prescription medications
• pet food

Air quality statements end

There are no longer any air quality statements in effect in New Brunswick.

There are two in effect in Nova Scotia, in Annapolis and Queens counties, due to the Long Lake wildfire in West Dalhousie.

Wildfire status

When wildfires burn, the following terms are used to describe their status:

• out of control – still spreading and not contained
• being monitored – a known, out-of-control fire that is not immediately threatening life or infrastructure, monitored by aircraft or satellite with no resources currently assigned
• contained – surrounded by barriers, such as lakes, roads, and fire lines, but still burning and could spread
• under control – surrounded and stable; low activity, minimal risk of escape
• being patrolled – contained with little to no fire activity; crews monitoring hotspots
• out – fully extinguished; no smoke for at least 24 hours
• fire of note – a fire requiring significant resources or threatening homes or critical infrastructure

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Andrea Jerrett

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.