New Brunswick water bombers sent to help fight raging Newfoundland wildfires

As out-of-control wildfires continue to spread in Newfoundland, aircraft from New Brunswick took off from the Fredericton airport Wednesday to help crews battle the blazes.

Three Air Tractor 802F water bombers, a bird dog aircraft and an air technician officer headed to Canada's most easterly province to help extinguish three separate blazes that have displaced hundreds over the last three days.

Air Tractors are the largest single-engine water bombers in the country, capable of holding 3,100 litres of water apiece. Forest Protection Limited owns and operates 11 Air Tractor 802Fs that are kept at Fredericton International Airport. 

The water bombers will stay on the island for up to five days, according to Tony Cole, a spokesperson for New Brunswick Wildfire Management. 

"I expect that they're going to struggle to get these fires under control right away," he said.

"It's going to take a fair bit of effort."

The fires are located in Kingston and Holyrood on the Avalon Peninsula, and south of Grand Falls-Windsor in the central region. All three are classified as out of control as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. 

Newfoundland isn't expecting any rain for the next 10 days, contributing to tinderbox conditions across the island.

Two of the fires have led to evacuation orders for nearby communities — an increasingly common occurrence for Newfoundland and Labrador in recent months. The province has endured 198 wildfires so far this season, compared to just under 60 at the same time last year.

Three other fires on the island are now considered to be under control.

Atlantic region at risk

As the risk of wildfires grows across the Atlantic region with continued dry conditions, Cole advises New Brunswickers to be cautious in the heat. 

"I would just ask people to be very vigilant and careful, and exercise extreme caution during this time," Cole said.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the national preparedness level is currently a five on a five-point scale. That means firefighters and equipment in every region in Canada are in use and help has been requested from outside the country.  

The entire province of New Brunswick is currently under a fire ban. 

On Tuesday, the government in Nova Scotia announced a ban on hiking, camping, fishing and use of vehicles such as ATVs in the woods due to an elevated wildfire risk.