Miramichi, N.B. wildfire triples in size as province issues new restrictions

In response to the increased wildfire risk, some forestry operations in New Brunswick will be restricted over the next couple of days.

A release from the province’s Department of Natural Resources says the move is to protect both the forests and people living in the province.

On Friday, the natural resources minister said in the release the restrictions will be on both Crown and private lands.

“These measures will help protect our forests, animals, natural habitats and our communities, as well as our wildland fire crews. I encourage everyone to take extreme precautions over the coming days and stay out of the forests if at all possible,” John Herron said in a statement.

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As of midnight Friday, harvesting, forwarding, skidding, scarification, chipping and all pre-commercial thinning and cleaning are restricted until Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.

However, trucking, road construction and maintenance, vegetation management and tree planting are still getting the green light.

These restrictions apply to all forested lands in the province, both private and Crown.

The department said the conditions and fire risk will continue to be monitored, and restrictions may need to be extended or additional restrictions put in place in some areas of the province.

The current burn ban remains in place for the entire province, including all provincial parks.

This comes as crews continue to fight awildfire burning in the Miramichi area.

Since Thursday the department confirmed in a statement the fire has almost tripped in size, covering approximately 65 hectares.

Water bombers are continuing to work on the fire Friday and additional personnel are expected to join the efforts, the department said in a statement.

The department reports that six bulldozers are making good progress building a fire break around the fire, and that no homes are threatened at this time.

“Today’s temperature and humidity will make it a challenging day,” the department warns.

The department is encouraging New Brunswickers to continue limiting their activities in the woods to support these efforts to protect the province’s forests and communities.