New Brunswick has surpassed 10-year average for forest fires this year

The dry, hot and windy weather in New Brunswick has created a high risk for forest fires, resulting in large fires in the Bocabec and Chamcook areas .

UNB forestry professor Anthony Taylor said New Brunswick has already had the same amount of forest fires and area burnt this year as it normally does over 10 years.

The dry, hot and windy weather in New Brunswick has created a high risk for forest fires, resulting in large fires in the Bocabec and Chamcook areas.

Quad NB, an organization representing ATV users, sent out a memo asking members to cancel ATV events and avoid going in the woods on Tuesday.

“With the dry conditions that we’re in right now, we thought let’s be proactive, not reactive so we recommended to our clubs to cancel their activities,” General Manager Jacques Poirier said, noting there were many events planned for the first weekend of June, as it generally kicks off the season.

“(We also asked)  our members to try to refrain from going in the woods,” he said.

Poirier said the trails are almost all on private property, and some land owners, like logging companies, have paused their operations due to forest fire risks, and asked ATV riders not to use the trails.

“Our trails are a privilege; it’s not a right that we have. So the permission is provided by the land owners and if they dictate that they wish for us to close our trails right now, that’s what we’ll be doing,” he said.

He said the organization’s members have mostly been receptive and compliant with the request.