Miramichi-area wildfire estimated to be about 25 hectares

Crews are still fighting a fire in Miramichi, N.B., on Thursday.

Crews are back on the ground fighting a wildfire in the Miramichi area of New Brunswick Thursday morning.

The fire began near Oldfield Road and Route 8 around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The Miramichi Fire Department, conservation officers, the Department of Protective Services, RCMP, NB Power, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) all responded to the scene.

More than 30 firefighters, eight air tankers and three bulldozers helped fight the flames.

Miramichi Fire Chief Stephen Melanson says the fire was still out of control and about 35 hectares in size just before 10 p.m. Wednesday.

“The fire did burn through a hydro line but there was no damage to infrastructure. One engine was placed at a residence for a period of time as a safety precaution and once it was deemed there was no threat to the property they cleared the scene,” he said in a Thursday morning email to CTV Atlantic.

“We had air tankers on it last night and again early this morning,” said Tony Cole, a Natural Resources wildfire operations supervisor. “Several bulldozers making a fire guard out of it.”

There was no threat to any property as of Wednesday night but residents were still concerned.

“Yes, it’s still faraway from home but the fire can still jump the road. It still has to go far,” said Gabriel Chiasson, a nearby resident.

The province’s Department of Natural Resources says the dozer guard is nearly complete and the fire is now estimated to be 20 to 25 hectares.

Several DNR vehicles and water bombers were at the scene Thursday afternoon.

Burn ban in place

As crews fight the Miramichi-area wildfire, New Brunswickers are being told the overall wildfire risk is high across the province.

“We are in a drying trend right now and are asking New Brunswickers to be cautious about their activities in the woods over the next few days, especially on Saturday, when winds are expected to increase. This is for their own safety, as well as the safety of their communities and our firefighters,” said Natural Resources Minister John Herron.

While the province’s fire index is climbing, it is still a different scenario compared to Nova Scotia. However, that could change if winds pick up and humidity doesn’t rise.

“Based on current conditions, such as humidity in the air and wind – or, in our case, lack of wind – we are in better shape than the rest of Canada,” said wildfire science officer Danny Goddard.

“While humidity is lower than normal, the lack of wind is a good thing.”

A provincewide burn ban is currently in place and the Fire Watch website is updated every day at 2 p.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Derek Haggett

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