'Like walls of flames': Miscou forest fire hasn't grown but still 'out of control'

A forest fire on New Brunswick's Miscou Island was still considered out of control as of 8 p.m., but didn't grow Monday the way some fire officials originally feared, a ranger said.

"We haven't had to call on any aerial support," said Roland Roy, provincial forest ranger and incident commander for the fire. 

"Everything is looking good, a lot better than it did yesterday afternoon,"

He said firefighters have kept the fire within a certain area, but "we haven't been able to close that loop yet."

The fire started around 4 p.m. Saturday and has forced the evacuation of 25 homes, although they were not in immediate danger Monday, officials said.

Once the first few trees ignited, you're talking about 30-foot flames, almost like walls of flames.- Paul Hamilton, cottager

Roy said the terrain is difficult to map but an estimated 50 hectares are burning on Miscou, a small island of about 500 people at the end of the Acadian Peninsula in northeastern New Brunswick.

People were allowed back in their homes on Sunday but only to gather a few personal belongings.

Roy said there were no further evacuations on Monday and he doesn't foresee the need for any.

But firefighters are finding it difficult to work in places where trees died after the ice storm earlier this year, Roy said.

The team is looking for additional help fighting the fire. 

• Miscou Island forest fire forces evacuation of 25 homes

"The boys are starting to get tired," Roy said. "We had a few fires prior to this, we had a few lightening strikes that we were fighting. We've been going pretty steady."

Firefighters returning from B.C. fires

Greg Furlotte, another forest ranger and chief of logistics for the fire, said fire personnel has been brought in from all over the province "right from Saint John to Saint-Quentin."

He also said that some firefighters were returning to the province after fighting fires in British Columbia.

"The guys that came back from fighting fires, which belonged to the province of New Brunswick, are returning back to New Brunswick. They had their days off and they've been re-established back on the line here." 

Asked whether the light rain that fell Monday evening made any difference, Furlotte said no.

"We need a couple of days of rain. Steady rain. Not hard rain, but the rain that soaks into the ground. That's really what we need," he said.

Dry weather

Marie-Josée Chiasson, the Miscou fire chief, said dry weather and the trees that fell in the January storm helped the fire grow.

"We're doing everything in our power to save houses and kill that fire," she said.  "We're not going to give up until the fire is out."

Roger Collet, the provincial fire prevention officer, wasn't certain how the fire started but said earlier that it appears a shed or garage caught fire, and the flames spread to the woods.

Paul Hamilton and his wife Francie, who have a cottage on Miscou, were sitting on their front porch when they first smelled smoke Saturday night. 

"Smelling smoke in our area, that's not a good sign," Paul Hamilton said. "Immediately, it just seemed strange, it was a significant amount of smoke."

He quickly jumped into his car and followed the smoke, where the tops of trees were igniting each other in the flames.

"Very quickly the shed spread to the grass, the grass spread to the first trees," Hamilton said. "Once the first few trees ignited, you're talking about 30-foot flames, almost like walls of flames."

He said the local fire department was ordering people out of their houses, so he gathered a few clothes and prescription drugs and left. He didn't have enough time to collect his toothbrush.

Right now, the couple are staying with friends and have confidence in those battling the blaze. 

"We've never experienced this before," Hamilton said. "I've never seen a forest fire, I've never been close to it … it's pretty scary."

Collet said the fire calmed down overnight Saturday and picked up again on Sunday.

This time of year because of the dry conditions, the lightning can hide in the ground for a couple of days before we event notice it.- Roger Collet

Johnny Stewart, the president of Miscou's local service district, said the road at Point Wilson is still closed off.  

Authorities have no idea when residents will be allowed home for good and are taking it "day by day," he said.

Marie-Andrée Bolduc, a spokesperson with NB Power, said the utility was working with the fire crews on Sunday night and had to turn off electricity for a while to about 30 customers.

"We are working closely with the fire department on scene and will interrupt the power if required as the situation unfolds."

Need more rain

Over the past few weeks, Bolduc said, the island has seen hot, dry weather, with a lot of wind. 

"Wind is a big factor on fighting the fires for sure."

The island is expected to see showers and thundershowers throughout the day, which presents the risk of lightning making things worse.  

Bolduc said lightning can strike tall trees and follow the stem into the ground, where it can cause things to smoulder in the ground for days, until it resurfaces, finding fuel in wind, igniting more fire.

"The showers themselves will do some good," Bolduc said. "But it also gives the opportunity for lightning strikes to hit the ground.

Additional help

Collet said there's about 50 people were fighting the fire on the ground, and more firefighters are heading in today.  

"You can only put so many people on the lines and get some work done," he said.

The island also received help from two water bombers based in Quebec from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Six New Brunswick air tankers were flown in over the weekend.

The entire province has been under a no burn order since 1:35 p.m. Sunday.