Fire officials in New Brunswick have issued a stern warning for people venturing anywhere near the woods.
“(There’s a) big potential for fire and just be extra, extra careful,” said Moncton fire prevention officer, Steve Richardson.
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Since the month of August, there have been four times more forest and brush fires in the province compared to the same period over the last five years.
Provincial Fire Centre operations supervisor, Troy Adams, says that it’s been so dry and unseasonably warm that the risk is not letting up.
“If the leaves start to fall and dry out, it is almost like we are right back into a spring fire season, with the dry grass and the leaves fallen,” he said. ” And we have not had any rain on top of that.”
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Adams says most small brush and forest fires so far this season were contained quickly, keeping the number of hectares burned fairly low.
But fire crews are asking residents to be vigilant.
“We’ve got a lot of trails in the area and people just have to be extra careful when they are out there,” said Richardson.
Richardson says it is so tinder dry, it would not take much to start a major brush fire right now.
“Something as simple as a pop bottle. The sun hits it the right way can magnify it and start a fire,” he said.
Richardson is also asking smokers to ‘butt out’.
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“If you insist on smoking, try to quit but make sure you extinguish you cigarettes thoroughly and make sure there is no potential to start a fire. It has great potential for damage, not to mention it could hurt or kill someone,” he said.
The Department of Natural Resources says if significant rainfall doesn’t fall soon, the Minister of Energy and Resource Development may have to step in and officially extend the forest fire watch beyond the legislated date of Oct. 31, which would be a first for the province.
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