‘A lot more promising’: Moncton-area wildfire still out of control but down to 45 hectares

A wildfire burning near Moncton, N.B., is still out of control, but it has shrunk in size.

Twelve wildfires were burning in New Brunswick early Tuesday afternoon, though 10 are contained or are being patrolled. The Miramichi-area wildfire, which doubled in size to 1,120 hectares overnight, is still out of control.

The Irishtown fire, which broke out Sunday, is now 45 hectares, down from 54 hectares Monday.

“The fire is still considered to be out of control, but the situation looks a lot more promising than it did yesterday, so we’re hopeful that that’s a good sign,” Maple Hills Mayor Erica Warren told CTV News Atlantic Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, Natural Resource Minister John Herron said as many as 900 structures and 1,500 people could be affected by the Irishtown fire.

No one has been evacuated from the area at this time, but people in the Irishtown, Tankville, Evangeline and Lakeville communities have been told to be prepared to evacuate on short notice.

“I could see smoke in the sky and immediately everything changed,” said Irishtown resident Natalie Davison. “In about 10 minutes we had taken a video of all the contents of our home and started packing go bags. That’s just not something that I’ve ever experienced.”

The New Brunswick government said an Alert Ready message will be issued if residents have to evacuate their homes.

Warren is urging residents to be patient as they await updates from the municipality and the provincial government.

“I understand that it is a trying time, that it’s scary. You’re on an evacuation alert. It could happen at anytime. That’s frightening, I understand,” said Warren.

“We have to be patient because the EMO directors that are sending us the information are getting it from the guys on the ground and those guys are fighting a fire.

“It is frustrating, it is challenging. We don’t like to say we don’t have an update, but at the same time we have to be patient because they’re fighting a fire and that’s priority one right now.”

Davison said the last few days have been scary for her and her family.

“It’s such a challenging thing to navigate because there’s so little information and information changes so quickly from what we’re being told. It’s very much a be prepared, control the controllables, and then try to manage your mental health,” she said.

Heat warning and air quality

Meanwhile, a heat warning is in effect for the Moncton area, where temperatures reached 33 to 36 degrees Tuesday, though it felt like 38 to 42 with the humidex. It felt cooler along the coast.

“A combination of very high temperatures and elevated humidity is expected to continue through to Wednesday, with some moderation expected by Thursday,” said Environment Canada.

An air quality statement has also been issued for the Moncton area, as smoke from the wildfire may cause poor air quality and reduced visibility.

“Smoke from a local wildfire is reducing air quality in the Irishtown area and locations downwind,” said Environment Canada. “Local smoke concentrations will vary with small changes to wind speed or direction.”

Warren said the municipality has opened its council chamber and community hub as a comfort centre for anyone who is experiencing discomfort from the heat or smoke.

Boil-water order in effect

The City of Moncton has issued a boil-water order for Elmwood Drive, north of the Trans-Canada Highway, due to the firefighting efforts.

The order includes residents and businesses along Granite Drive, Royal Oaks Subdivision, and civic addresses including and above Elmwood Drive.

“The Boil Order is a result of high water flows from ongoing fire suppression efforts in the area and has resulted in high turbidity levels,” said the city in a statement on Sunday.

Water that is going to be consumed, used to wash produce or for cooking, as well as brushing teeth, should be held at a rolling boil for one minute.

The city is also recommending that caregivers sponge-bathe toddlers and infants to reduce the risk of them swallowing any water.

The city says it’s working with the Department of Health and water-testing is ongoing. It will issue an advisory when the boil-water order has been lifted.

Some parks and trails closed

A provincewide burn ban is in effect and all Crown lands are closed in New Brunswick.

Residents are not allowed to hike, camp, fish or use vehicles in the woods at this time, and all trail systems through the woods are off-limits.

Camping is only allowed in official campgrounds, but the province is asking people to reconsider their camping plans until the forest fire risk decreases.

Private property owners are being encouraged to follow the same restrictions.

Forestry operations such as harvesting, forwarding, skidding, scarification, chipping and all pre-commercial thinning and cleaning, are also prohibited.

“This is for your safety, the safety of your communities and the safety of firefighters putting their lives on the line,” said Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin during a news conference on Monday. “Please remain outside the forests, we can’t repeat it enough.”

In Moncton, the city has closed the following parks and trails:

• Irishtown Nature Park
• Mapleton Park
• Riverfront Trail between the West Main traffic circle and Gunningsville Bridge
• trails in Centennial Park (the pool, playground and splashpad and sports fields remain open)

The province is also urging residents to stay away from the wildfires and give the firefighters space to do their jobs.

“Now is not the time for fire tourism,” said New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt on Monday. “There have been people who have wanted to get that great picture for social media, but we need to keep our roads and our emergency areas as clear as possible.”

Other wildfires

According to the public fires dashboard, the following fires were burning in New Brunswick as of 2 p.m. Tuesday:

• Oldfield Road – out of control
• Irishtown – out of control
• Wedge Extension Road – contained
• Slash – contained
• Chemin Tommy – being patrolled
• Lavillette – being patrolled
• Black River – being patrolled
• Gray Road – being patrolled
• Plumweseep Cross – being patrolled
• Post – being patrolled
• Lauvina Road - being patrolled
• Smithfield road - being patrolled

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Derek Haggett and Natalie Lombard

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