New Brunswick launches enhanced wildfire dashboard, Fire Watch website

The new wildfire dashboard for New Brunswick went live on Monday.

An enhanced wildfire dashboard and Fire Watch website can help New Brunswickers keep an eye on wildfire activity this season.

The New Brunswick government says the dashboard consolidates data from the wildfire management branch to provide timely, accurate and reliable updates as wildfires burn in the province.

“The dashboard, along with our Fire Watch website, were pivotal resources for New Brunswickers and our wildfire management partners during last year’s wildfires,” said New Brunswick Natural Resources Minister John Herron in a news release Monday.

“These tools empower residents with real-time updates and critical information to stay informed and prepared during wildfire season.”

The province says the updates, which aim to make wildfire information more accessible and user-friendly, including the following:

• real-time information: residents can access up-to-date details about wildfire incidents;
• centralized data: a single source of accurate and reliable information directly from the wildfire management branch.

The province is encouraging residents to check the daily burn conditions on the Fire Watch website or its new NB Wildfires Facebook page to stay informed this season.

Wildfire season

New Brunswick started its wildfire season early this year, on April 8, due to a lack of snow and record-low precipitation levels. Wildfire season typically begins on the third Monday in April and lasts until Oct. 31.

Herron notes wildfires happen in New Brunswick every year, and he says the province’s wildfire response teams are trained to effectively manage them.

“New Brunswickers can rest assured that our wildfire fighters respond to hundreds of incidents every wildfire season,” said Herron. “While wildfires are a reality, not all result in the kind of challenges we faced last summer.”

Last year, New Brunswick faced more than 400 wildfires, including one in the Miramichi area that reached roughly 1,402 hectares.

The province has said it is spending $6.7 million on fire preparedness and prevention this year. That includes converting 74 casual forest ranger positions into fulltime, year-round positions, and the purchase of four new Fire Boss aircraft, which can scoop up water from lakes and rivers.

The water bombers helped crews extinguish a fast-moving wildfire in Albert County last month.

As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, the dashboard was showing one contained wildfire being patrolled in the Elm Hill area.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett and Sean Mott

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