N.B. dashboard shows number of fires reduced by more than half since last week

New BrunswickAs of Saturday morning, New Brunswick’s fire dashboard shows two out-of-control fires burning in the province.16 active wildfires burning in province, with two still out of control, says DNRRhythm Rathi · CBC News · Posted: Aug 23, 2025 11:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoA photo taken on Aug. 13 shows a firefighter working to extinguish the Oldfield Road wildfire in the Miramichi area. (Government of New Brunswick)Two wildfires remain out of control Saturday in New Brunswick, but the province’s fire watch dashboard shows the number of active fires continuing to decline.The latest update from the Department of Natural Resources, at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, lists 16 fires in the province, down two from Friday’s update. The Beaver Lake Stream fire in Northumberland County and the Rocky Brook fire in Restigouche County are still categorized as out of control. The Beaver Lake Stream fire is estimated at 238 hectares and Rocky Brook at 184.2 hectares, with both figures unchanged from Friday.The Oldfield Road fire near Miramichi, the province’s largest this season, remains contained at 1,403 hectares, burning within a bulldozed break or a wet line.The Chief’s fire, at 218 hectares, was also reported as contained on the dashboard as of Saturday morning. On Aug. 17, the dashboard said 39 wildfires were burning across the province, including seven that were considered out of control.”Please keep in mind that all recreational activities are still prohibited on Crown Land until further notice,” Natural Resources said in its update.A provincewide burn ban remains in effect.According to Environment Canada, New Brunswick is expecting light showers in the northwestern areas early Saturday, with a mainly sunny day across the province. Similar weather is expected on Sunday. Showers and highs in the mid-20s are in the forecast for Monday.ABOUT THE AUTHORRhythm Rathi is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick in Moncton. He was born and raised in India, and attended journalism school in Ontario. Send your story tips to rhythm.rathi@cbc.ca