N.B. reporting 12 active wildfires; evacuation advisory lifted for Black River Bridge fire

A firefighter works on a wildfire in New Brunswick in August 2026. (New Brunswick government)

The evacuation advisory has been lifted for residents near the Black River Bridge fire, which is now considered contained.

New Brunswick is reporting 12 active wildfires Tuesday, down from 18 fires Monday afternoon.

Of those:

• 7 are being patrolled
• three are contained

Two fires are still out of control:

• 256 – Beaver Lake Stream
• 281 – Rocky Brook

There are no air quality statements in effect Tuesday.

Oldfield Road fire

At 1,403 hectares, the Oldfield Road fire in the Miramichi area is still the province’s biggest fire, but it hasn’t grown in days and is still considered contained. Still, the province warns it is actively burning, and could jump or spread.

“It’s been a long haul. It started Aug. 7 and here we are still burning. It’s been heavy for the community and our surrounding areas,” said Miramichi councillor Veronique Arsenault in an interview with CTV Morning Live’s Crystal Garrett on Tuesday.

Arsenault said it’s incredible to see so many crews come from across the country to help local firefighters.

“Our own firefighters have been on patrol, on the river so that the water bomber could collect what they needed to collect. We’re incredibly thankful to them, some of them have shared that they are getting tired.”

Arsenault said there is a sense of fear and anxiety in the community.

“People are very thankful the fire is contained now but are concerned about loved one and other communities. It’s a small area for us and we know people in these areas.”

The province says more than 2,200 hectares have burned since the start of this wildfire season, exceeding the 186.5 hectares burned last year, and the 10-year average of 395.5 hectares.

There have been 293 fires this year compared to 224 last year. The 10-year average is 215.

The province has created a 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.

Restrictions lifted

The New Brunswick government lifted most of the restrictions on Crown lands at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Restrictions will remain for timber harvesting, which will only be allowed between the hours of 6 p.m. and noon, to avoid the hottest hours of the day.

Restrictions on peat harvesting, which has been permitted since Aug. 13 with the goal of reducing peat piles, will remain until further notice to ensure that current piles continue to be reduced.

Municipalities may use their own discretion on whether to reopen their parks and trails.

The provincewide burn ban remains in place.

Evacuation preparation

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

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

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