The number of active fires in New Brunswick has dropped to 19.
Of those, 12 are being patrolled, two are contained and five are considered out of control.
The following fires remain out of control:
- 250 – Chief’s
- 256 – Beaver Lake Stream
- 276 – Mount Goold
- 281 – Rocky Brook
- 284 – Green Brook
“Avoid travelling in affected areas unless necessary to allow emergency crews to work safely,” an update from the Department of Natural Resources said on Thursday.
The section of Route 8 that was closed due to the Old Field fire has reopened this week.
The Old Field fire was the biggest to date, burning more than 1,400 hectares alone. It took crews 13 days to bring the fire under containment.
“Traffic enforcement units are heavy in the area doing patrols to slow traffic, prevent stopping vehicles to take photos and protect the Water Tanker pulling water from the Bartibog River Bridge,” an alert from the City of Miramichi said.
Kenna Road is only open to local residents, the alert explains. NB Power is also in the area working on power lines and poles.
“This situation may change and numbers may evolve throughout the day,” said a statement from DNR.
To date, 2,265 hectares have burned in New Brunswick. The ten year average is about 394 hectares, making this year’s fire season alone five times the ten year average.
The majority of the fires have been in Northumberland County, with some occurring in Kings, Restigouche, Gloucester, York, Kent, and Westmorland.
