N.B. reports 9 active wildfires, two out of control

The Irishtown, N.B., wildfire was still out of control as of Tuesday. (Source: Government of New Brunswick)

New Brunswick is reporting there are now nine active fires in the province, four of which are being patrolled while three are contained and two are out of control.

The two out of control are:

• 256- Beaver Lake Stream
• 281- Rocky Brook

There is no air quality statements in effect Wednesday.

New Brunswick asks residents to avoid travelling in affected areas unless necessary to allow emergency crews to work safely.

Restrictions lifted

Restrictions that were placed on Crown lands due to the high risk of wildfires were lifted Tuesday. Some restrictions on forestry operations remain in place.

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 not 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.

The burn ban also remains in place.

Evacuation advisories were also lifted for residents near the Black River Bridge fire Tuesday after it had been marked contained.

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.