More wildfires continue to pop up in New Brunswick amid continued dry conditions and thunder and lightning strikes.
The Old Field Road fire continues to be out-of-control, burning 1,402 hectares since it was first detected 10 days ago. Five other fires are also listed as out of control, but some are being brought quickly into containment.
“There are currently 23 active fires,” said Natural Resources Minister John Herron, adding the situation changes quickly.
Another out-of-control wildfire in Irishtown, near Moncton, has been contained, but not under control.
“Contained means we’ve got it, under control means we own it,” he said.
Several fires, according to Herron, were a result of lighting strikes. About 20 in the last two days, which was accompanied by strong, but short bursts of rain.
“The rains that we have been receiving, unfortunately, are bringing lighting along with it which can be very problematic in creating new starts,” Herron said.
He also explained lighting strikes may not immediately result in fire and could take days to detect. Herron said the extremely dry conditions are what is making the fire in Miramichi so difficult to contain, also noting in the early stages it jumped into new areas twice.
“We’ve, so far, only been able to steer it,” he said.
More resources coming
Forty firefighters are coming to New Brunswick to aid in the fire fight.
“These are highly trained attack units,” Herron said during a briefing with reporters on Friday.
The 20 firefighters who came from Nova Scotia have returned to help with firefighting efforts in its province. Another 10 firefighters are in the province from P.E.I. and Maine.
There are three additional Canadair CL-215s working to douse the fires and the province hopes to add an additional CF-415, bringing its total water bombers to four.
Equipment has also been requested from Charlotte County. Ron Fournier, the owner of Flying 2C Helicopter Tours was called away to assist in the efforts.
“Our helicopter and our pilot Ron are needed on New Brunswick fire duty,” a Facebook post from the company said. “We will not be able to offer tours for the next few days or until our helicopter services are no longer required.”
Crown lands off limits, but some exceptions
Crown lands in New Brunswick continue to be off limits, but some exceptions for industry have been granted with provisions.
“We’re doing this to minimize the impacts and support workers, those folks, who are trying to provide for their families,” Herron said.
Logging companies have been permitted to do some overnight trucking for lumber that is already harvested and on the roadside.
“[It comes] with the added precaution of enhanced fire equipment and site monitoring requirements,” he said, adding companies would be required to have water on hand and additional personnel for fire spotting.
A permitting process has also been initiated for blueberry harvesters and some limited harvesting of peat.
Evacuation advisories
Many areas have been subject to evacuation advisories as fires begin to pose a threat to property and people.
An evacuation advisory means a geographical area has been asked to prepare to evacuate. The province has asked all New Brunswickers to prepare an evacuation kit.
Some basics include:
- Water
- Food
- Flashlight
- Radio
- Batteries
- First Aid
- Masks (for smoke filtration)
- Prescription medications
- Pet food
- Cash
Residents should also consider taking pictures and videos of their property and belongings ahead of any evacuation alert.
An evacuation alert means the threat to people and property is imminent and individuals must leave. It will come through the Alert Ready system – a national alerting system that can be sent to mobile phones, TV and radio.
