The wildfire near Miramichi, N.B., is now said to be contained but there are still 37 active woodland blazes across the province, seven of which are considered to be out of control.
The Oldfield Road Fire near Miramichi, which was first detected on Aug. 6, had grown to around 1,402 hectares, according to Fire Watch, the province’s monitoring website.
However, in a Facebook post, the province says the Old Field Road fire is now considered to be contained. This means it has been surrounded by barriers such as bulldozer breaks or hose lines, which are designed to prevent further spread.
“However, fire is still actively burning on some or all edges, and it could potentially jump or spread,” the post warns.
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Fires still considered out of control by the province include Beaver Lake Stream, Chief’s, 9 Mile, Lovalls Lake, Jacquet River PNA, Hells Gate and Jacquet River.
The two largest fires are in Beaver Lake Stream near Red Bank, which was discovered last Thursday, and the Chief’s fire near Northesk, which was discovered a day earlier.
Over the weekend, the Beaver Lake Stream fire ballooned in size to 650 hectares, while the Chief’s fire is now listed as 250 hectares in size by the province’s Fire Watch website.
The remainder of the fires are listed as contained, under control, being monitored or being patrolled on Fire Watch.
Rain fell on some areas of New Brunswick over the weekend but it was not enough to put an end to wildfire dangers, according to the Facebook post.
“Quick rain showers only dampen the surface, while the dry material underneath can still ignite easily,” it read. “Sun and wind can dry out that moisture within hours, creating dangerous conditions again.”
The wet weather is not expected to continue Monday, with the forecast calling for sunny conditions with highs up to 26 C for some areas of New Brunswick.
In Miramichi, the high was expected to be 20 C, which will likely be welcomed conditions for the firefighters.
On Friday, Minister of Natural Resources John Herron told reporters that at least seven firefighters had been treated for heat exhaustion as a heat wave continued across the East Coast.
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