If the situation of forest fires improves greatly in the south of the province, it is getting worse in the north, while six out of control are listed on Friday morning.
All these fires are in the northeast, in the counties of Gloucester (Bathurst) and Northumberland (Miramichi).
None seem to threaten cities or village for the moment.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, no less than 23 fires were active in New Brunswick, Friday, around 11 a.m.
The most important of the group has an area of 25 hectares and is about 30 km southwest of the Népisiguit Falls and Bathurst mines. Twenty firefighters try to circumscribe it. It was detected Wednesday afternoon.
The biggest problem of the authorities remains the fire of Old Field Road, near Miramichi, who has been burning for ten days now.
This blaze has so far devoured 1402 hectares of forest, 44 more than such an hour Thursday. No less than 43 firefighters try to contain it, 27 less than Thursday.
Many new braids have been discovered since Thursday afternoon.
The vast majority of them are very small (less than one hectare) and burn in the forest, far from the dwellings.
In addition, the fire that had declared itself in Maple Glen, near Miramichi, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, remains on the content side. It has an area of 5.5 hectares and 15 firefighters attack there. It was considered out of control a good part of Thursday.
The other fire which was out of control in the province at the end of the afternoon on Thursday was that of Serpentine, in the heart of the woods, about 125 km northeast of Grand-Sault. Its area is assessed at two hectares. It is now contained.
The fire burning in Irishtown, north of Moncton, since Sunday remains contained. Its area has not increased in the last three days. Twenty-eight firefighters are assigned to it.
The government has also announced that the 20 Nova Scotia firefighters who have lent their neo-Brunswick colleagues since Wednesday will return to their province to support efforts to fight forest fires.
Good news, however: 40 firefighters from Alberta will reinforce the N.-B. on Saturday.
For the moment, the government does not deplore the destruction of any infrastructure by fires.
The government recalls that all industrial and recreational activities (including hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods) are prohibited on the crown lands since Saturday and until the other opinion.
All forest operations (harvesting, tugging, clearing, scarifying, shredding and all pre -commercal clearing and cleaning operations are prohibited.
Provincial parks remain open to the campsite with restrictions, in particular the ban on campfire and the closure of all hiking trails.
A burning ban is also in force throughout the province.
Fourteen tankers are available, nine of which are assigned to the fire of Old Field Road, near Miramichi. Three helicopters also participate in the fight. Two others could be added on Friday, if the weather permits.
This fire weighs very heavy in the annual assessment. Since the beginning of the year, 1568 hectares of forest have been burned in the province, against 185 at the same date last year. This is an increase of 850%.
Over the past ten years, the average area burned on August 14 is 389 hectares.
