Crews continue to make progress on extinguishing several wildfires throughout the province.
There were 20 active fires as of 1 p.m. Wednesday, down from 24 earlier in the day.
Five of those fires are considered to be out of control, according to the latest update from the Department of Natural Resources.
The Beaver Lake Stream fire west of Red Bank remains at 238 hectares, the Chief’s fire northeast of Northesk is at 218 hectares and the Rocky Brook fire northwest of Bathurst is holding at 184 hectares.
Three fires are considered contained, including the 1,400-hectare Oldfield Road fire north of Miramichi, and 12 are being patrolled.
Route 8 north of Miramichi, which had been closed as a result of the Oldfield Road fire, reopened to traffic on Wednesday.
“The provincial fire ban will remain in place until we get steady, soaking rain across affected areas. Please respect the restrictions, stay informed and help prevent wildfires,” DNR said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the province announced it was allowing the forestry sector to resume some activities on Crown land “to ensure ongoing operations” of the sector.
Each business will need a permit and must follow rules regarding work location, operating conditions, hours of operation, fire equipment and fire-watch activity.
For example, the province said tree harvesting will be allowed between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.
In addition, officials said no activity will be allowed in an active fire zone anywhere in the province.
While industry is resuming some operations on Crown lands, all recreational activities remain off-limits, including campfires and the use of all-terrain vehicles.
