A burn ban across New Brunswick is just another indicator of just how dry it is across the province.
“It's probably the driest it’s been in 20 years, or as long as I've been farming here,” says orchard owner Chuck Everett. “I don't think we've had half an inch all of July.”
Everett says he’s been forced to spread mulch underneath his apple trees to keep as much water in the ground as possible.
“Apples want to start bulking, about the same potatoes and they haven't got the moisture.”
The Department of Natural Resources says it's in no position to send firefighters to assist in the British Columbia wildfires because of the tinder dry conditions.
“At this point we're not looking at doing that. We're going to keep them here,” says New Brunswick wildfire prevention officer Roger Collet. “They're working on fires around the province right now.”
In addition to the out of control fire on Miscou Island, New Brunswick officials are patrolling about half a dozen more.
“We've had a couple small ones, even this morning around the noon time, but very small, contained right away,” says Collet.
No fire signs are greeting campers before they enter any provincial park.
“We're looking at extreme conditions because there's not much moisture and it's getting deeper into the ground, drier and drier as the days go by,” says Collet.
For campers on the ground, it's clear why the ban is in effect.
“The grass looks very burnt and everything looks dry, so we understand,” says one camper.
Officials say a day or two of steady rain will be needed to get the New Brunswick fire index out of extreme territory.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore.
