Two wildfires are burning out of control in New Brunswick. As of Sunday evening, New Brunswick’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the Miramichi area fire, which is being called the Oldfield Road fire, and the Irishtown wildfire are considered out of control. “The current wildfire situation continues to be severe and unprecedented. To ensure the safety of New Brunswickers and our province, we are pro-actively reaching out Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) to request additional firefighting personnel to support our fire crews on the ground and back at our central operations centre. We’ve always been a good partner to other provinces and territories and even to other countries when they needed it, that is why we are asking for their assistance,” said Natural Resources Minister John Herron in the update. DNR said one home and three cottages were put under evacuation order Saturday night due to the Miramichi area fire. “Additionally, 15 homes have been notified regarding a possible evacuation alert in the event the fire continues to move in their direction,” said DNR in an update Sunday. DNR was unable to measure the size of the Miramichi fire Sunday due to “smoke reducing visibility.” However, it did note the fire jumped Highway 8 and burned about 20 hectares. The Miramichi fire had grown significantly between Friday and Saturday. On Friday, it was 65 hectares. By Saturday morning it had grown to 160 hectares and by the afternoon it was 240 hectares. The wildfire broke out Wednesday and was initially estimated to be around 20 hectares. “This situation can change by the hour,” Natural Resources Minister John Herron said Saturday. Highway 8 between Route 450 and McHardy Road remained closed as of Sunday. The cause of the Miramichi area fire is unknown at this time. Slash fire The other out of control wildfire is burning near Canterbury, which is in York County. DNR is calling it the ‘Slash fire.’ It said it is currently five hectares in size and is about 15 per cent contained. Forty firefighters and three dozers are working to get the fire under control, said DNR. A dozer guard is also being built and “air attack will be sent as needed.” Other wildfires On Sunday, DNR said there are currently 10 wildfires burning in New Brunswick. It said there were no reports of any new starts as of 10 a.m. Three of the fires are under control and five are being patrolled, which DNR said is the “last step before being considered out.” “This is a serious situation,” said Herron. “Going back to data as far back as to 1986, we have not had a drying situation as severe as we have today.” On Saturday, the province said there had been 222 fires. Last year, there were 215. “We can get from a spark to a serious fire event very, very quickly,” said Herron. Around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, New Brunswick RCMP said officers were on scene of another wildfire in the Irishtown area. Police asked the public to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to respond safely. According to New Brunswick’s public fires dashboard, the fire is classified as out of control. The data shows it started around 11:15 a.m. Sunday and was 30 hectares in size. In a Sunday evening update, DNR said there are four air tankers and two skimmers currently on site at the Irishtown fire and residents of area homes are being asked to be prepared to evacuate. ‘Stay out of the woods’ On Saturday, New Brunswick announced it would be closing access to Crown lands due to an “extreme wildfire hazard.” The closures came into effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. This means: “This is an unprecedented situation, and it is getting worse. So, we’re here on a Saturday afternoon to ask all New Brunswickers to get out of the woods and to stay out of the woods,” said Premier Susan Holt during a news conference Saturday. Officials are also asking people to take the same precautions on private land. The province did not announce an increase in fines for those deemed to be breaking the rules. Officials said the current fine under the Crown Lands and Forests Act is $140 plus a surcharge for a total of $172.50. There is also a provision if someone is found responsible for causing a fire. They would be responsible for the cost of putting the fire out for a maximum fine of $250,000. “Right now, we are really hoping at the end of all this, we will have issued zero fines,” said Holt. She noted the issue of fines could be revisited is New Brunswickers do not follow the rules. A provincewide burn ban remains in effect. Hot and smoky As of Sunday morning, the Miramichi area was under both a heat warning and a special air quality advisory. Environment Canada issued the air quality advisory Saturday, saying smoke from nearby wildfires is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. “People more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke, including people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition, and people who work outdoors, should avoid strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms,” said the advisory. Environment Canada said mild symptoms can include: More serious but less common symptoms include: Generally light southwesterly winds are expected Sunday. Environment Canada said local smoke concentrations will vary with small changes to wind speed or direction. A heat warning is also in effect with hot weather expected Sunday through Wednesday. Environment Canada said maximum daytime temperatures are expected in the range of 30 to 34 C feeling like 38 to 42 with the humidex. Overnight lows will be near 18 C. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
