12-08-2025
Miramichi wildfire burns into 6th day, nearly tripling in size over 24 hours
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Two fires burning in New Brunswick remain out of control as of Tuesday morning, according to the provincial fire dashboard, with one of the blazes more than doubling in size overnight.
The Oldfield Road fire, about 15 kilometres north of Miramichi, has grown from 450 hectares on Monday to an estimated 1,120 hectares, the equivalent of 11.2 square kilometres, on Tuesday.
The Irishtown fire near Moncton, also called the 115 Pit fire, has decreased in size, from its last reported 54 hectares to an estimated 45 hectares as of Tuesday morning.
Several other wildfires burning across New Brunswick are considered under control.
The Wedge Extension fire, located about 20 kilometres south of Bathurst near the Bathurst mine site, is now classified as contained at 1.1 hectares. It was initially declared out of control on Monday afternoon, when its size was unknown.
Two other fires in the province are categorized as contained, according to the dashboard — the Slash fire in York County and the Black River fire near Kouchibouguac.
The dashboard also notes six other fires it categorizes as "being patrolled," which indicates the fire is fully contained, with no fire activity and only occasional smoke found.
Restrictions continue
Fire risk across New Brunswick remains extreme, leading to continued restrictions on activity that could spark a blaze.
Crown land has been closed to activities including camping, hiking and using off-road vehicles since midnight Sunday, and remains closed until further notice.
There are no evacuation orders issued for the Irishtown fire at this point, but people living in the Irishtown, Tankville, Evangeline and Lakeville areas are asked to stay prepared to evacuate on short notice.
Near Miramichi, Route 8 is still closed between MacKinnon Road and Highway 450, as well as portions of Oldfield Road and Russellville Road.
A burn ban remains in place for the entire province until further notice, and an Environment Canada heat warning for the entire province — save for the Bay of Fundy coast — is expected to remain in place until Wednesday, with maximum daytime temperatures expected to reach up to 36 C.
