
Out-of-control wildfires burn on, with slight relief from heat expected Thursday
But the Oldfield Road fire, about 15 kilometres north of Miramichi, and the 115 Pit fire near Moncton, also called the Irishtown fire, were listed as the same size they were on Tuesday, according to the province's fire watch dashboard.
The Miramichi fire is listed as being 1,120 hectares, while the Irishtown fire is listed at 45 hectares — a roughly 10-hectare decrease from Monday.
The provincial summary report said it was updated early Wednesday morning, but the status of the fires say they were last updated on Tuesday.
Crown land still closed, burn ban in effect
New Brunswick and other regions in Canada have seen hot and dry conditions over the last several days. A multi-day Environment Canada heat warning is expected to end after Wednesday.
All regions in New Brunswick are still closed for burning and Crown land is closed. That means no fishing, camping or hiking, and no vehicles in the woods. Trail systems are closed and camping is only allowed in campgrounds. There is also a ban on all forestry operations such as harvesting, forwarding, skidding, scarification and chipping.
Bathurst fire now 'being patrolled'
A fire near the Bathurst Mines was listed as out of control on Monday but changed to "contained" on Tuesday, which means a fire is contained by barriers but is still actively burning on some or all edges and could jump or spread.
As of Wednesday morning, that fire's status said "being patrolled."
There are 13 fires listed as "being patrolled" on the province's reporting summary. This means the fire is fully contained with barriers and there's little to no fire activity.
Heat warning to end Wednesday
All of New Brunswick — besides an area of the Bay of Fundy coast — is still under a heat warning from Environment Canada for the remainder of Wednesday.
Temperatures are expected to reach 33 C to 37 C with a humidex of 38 to 43.
Environment Canada's warning says some moderation is expected by Thursday because of a weak cold front passing through New Brunswick.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Parents want to see wading pools open longer as season winds down
As of Sunday, over a dozen more wading pools will be no more as the City of Ottawa gets ready to close them for the season. Wading pools started closing Friday and 17 more will be drained by Sunday. All pools will be closed for the season by Aug. 24. Some parents aren't too happy with the pools closing in mid-August, leaving them looking for other ways to keep cool for the rest of the summer. 'I think that's too soon because kids need to be having fun. The holidays aren't over,' says parent Julie Melancon. 'Kids should be able to play outside, really enjoy, decompress before school starts and be off their screens especially.' Since most of the staff monitoring the city's wading pool are students, many speculate the pools are closing early so they can prepare to go back to school. 'That's so sad because my kids really love it,' says Alina Kucherenko. 'When it's so hot, you play in the park and then to do a bit of a fresh in the pool' Some parents would like for the pools to stay open at least until Labour Day. 'It's quite hot outside and I'd really appreciate being able to take my daughter out to the wading pool. Especially after work or weekends like when it's hot, like it is today,' says parent Christopher Hogg. 'There's still a couple weeks before September and it just limits the amount of options.' The closure dates for wading pools and other places to cool off are available on the City of Ottawa website.


CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Significant amount of rainfall slows the spread of wildfires on Vancouver Island
A wildfire is seen burning about 16 kilometres south of Port Alberni, B.C., on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Hammond BC Hydro said restoration work will take up to two weeks after an out-of-control wildfire, which is burning south of Port Alberni, B.C., left hundreds of residents in the nearby communities without power since Monday. Firefighters on Vancouver Island say a 'significant' amount of rainfall has helped crews to make progress in battling the Mount Underwood wildfire, which has prompted three evacuation alerts and two orders. The BC Wildfire Service said that crews are seeing improvement on the Mount Underwood wildfire after the area has received more than 30 millimetres of rain since Thursday, leading to minimal fire growth over the past 24 hours. Kiah Allen, operations chief on the Mount Underwood wildfire from the Coastal Fire Centre, said in an operational update on Friday that the next three days will allow crews to make good progress as they are seeing relief in the weather. Allen said her crews have been taking advantage of the cooler weather to do assessments and secure the perimeter before the weather becomes hot and dry again. The Mount Underwood wildfire is currently measured at 36.68 square kilometres in size, and about 19 pieces of heavy equipment and 168 firefighters are working to control the blaze. The Alberni Clayoquot Regional District, located on Vancouver Island, said in a post on Saturday that crews have been focusing efforts on the north and northwest portions of the fire, hoping to further contain areas closest to the City of Port Alberni. The service said that while the weather can help calm down fire behaviour and create safer conditions for crews, heavy rainfall could also lead to slope instability, rockfalls and danger trees. The regional district said the rain does not mean it's safe to enter the evacuation order zone due to the risks of fallen trees and rocks, and it's important for residents to stay out of the evacuation order zone. The fire has cut off power and main road access to Huu-ay-aht First Nation, whose traditional territory includes Bamfield, as the district said there are roughly 55 power poles that have been burned and are down, with an unknown timeline for fully restoring power. BC Hydro said in a statement on Saturday that restoration work has begun after the wildfire caused 'extensive damage' and left more than 500 customers in Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, and Ditidaht First Nation in the dark since Aug. 11 when the fire was first discovered. BC Hydro said its crews launched a full patrol and damage assessment and determined that they need to restring about 20 kilometres of power line. It said the rebuilding work will cover six kilometres, including two kilometres of 'particularly difficult' terrain labelled by steep forested cliffs and unstable rock. BC Hydro said it's estimated that power restoration could take up to two weeks due to the scale of the damage and the challenging terrain. 'Due to the highway closure, crews will initially access the site through Duncan, adding approximately two hours of travel time each way. Once the road reopens, access will improve significantly,' read the statement. About 80 fires are burning across the province, including four that are out of control. A provincial situation report from the wildfire service said that below-seasonal temperatures are expected to last on Saturday. It said that while eastern parts of the province could experience thunderstorms mixed with embedded precipitation on Saturday, areas like Vanderhoof, Fort St James, and parts of the Western Cariboo will likely stay dry. It said the cooler and damp weather is likely to stay in the coastal and northern regions of B.C. over the weekend, but the Southern Interior, right across to the southeastern reaches of the province, will experience warm and dry conditions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025.


CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
Cautious optimism after rain helps quell Mount Underwood wildfire near Port Alberni, B.C.
Officials on Vancouver Island say 33 millimetres of rain on Friday helped to curb the flames of the Mount Underwood wildfire, which is burning about 8 kilometres south of Port Alberni, B.C. The fire is now estimated at around 36 square kilometres, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, and is still classified as out of control. But officials say the rain reduced it to a mostly smoldering fire. "The rain did a lot, it minimized fire behaviour. Temporarily, it will minimize fire spread," said incident commander Stefan Hood with the wildfire service. "But that certainly doesn't mean that the work is done. Really and truly, the work is only just beginning." The wildfire service says the reprieve from the hot, dry, windy weather from the past few days will give crews better access to the wildfire and allow them to focus on its perimeter to keep it from spreading any closer to the City of Port Alberni, where residents have been on edge the past few days monitoring the flames. Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions and officials with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District say all evacuation orders and alerts are still in place, including the order for the China Creek campground and the alert for parts of the Cameron Heights neighbourhood on the southern edge of the city. "We have reason for hope, but people should still be prepared because we don't know everything that could occur," said John Jack, the district's chair and the elected chief councillor for the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. Bamfield still without power Jack confirmed that Bamfield, a remote community on the west coast of Vancouver Island, is still without power. He says regional officials are working to set up hot shower and laundry facilities for those who need it. Wildfire growth near Port Alberni unusual for Vancouver Island: wildfire service 2 days ago An out-of-control fire south of Port Alberni has grown to more than 34 square kilometres. The Mount Underwood wildfire was discovered on Monday and doubled in size in 24 hours. The B.C. Wildfire Service describes the blaze as aggressive and explosive and says the rapid growth is due to a severe drought. The power went out in Bamfield on Monday, the night the fire started. The main road between Port Alberni and Bamfield is closed due to the fire, but a secondary route to Youbou in the Cowichan Valley is available for essential travel only. Some businesses in Bamfield have expressed concern that the situation will diminish their income during the busy tourist season, which sustains many business owners for the rest of the year. During the media briefing on Saturday, Mayor Minions addressed business owners in Port Alberni who had expressed similar concerns. "We are aware of your struggles, we are advocating to the provincial government for resources into the community," she said. Air quality improves Wildfire officials said air quality was a great concern in the past few days but as of Saturday, air quality throughout the mid-island region had greatly improved. "Driving into Port Alberni this morning I was on the phone with my mother and I painted a picture for her that I saw a beautiful rainbow over the inlet and the mountains and the clouds, and the sun poking through," said Hood. Two clean air centres are still open to the public in Port Alberni as a precaution. "Right here in Port Alberni it's quite a lovely day," he said.