Extreme fire risk persists across Atlantic Canada due to dry, hot weather. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have banned wooded area activities, while Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have provincewide burn bans.

On Saturday, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announced a sweeping ban on all activities on Crown lands, mirroring earlier restrictions on some forestry operations, as reported by the Globe and Mail. Fines were not mentioned.

In Newfoundland, thousands have been forced to evacuate due to ongoing fires. The Province has yet to implement forest bans, unlike other regions.

Effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Crown land in New Brunswick is closed to hiking, camping, fishing, and vehicle use. Trail systems are also off-limits.

“We are in an unprecedented situation and it is getting worse,” Holt told reporters. “We are here to ask all New Brunwickers to get out of the woods and to stay out of the woods.”

There are seven active wildfires in the province; only one is currently out of control. 

Holt acknowledged that some may dislike the government's latest action but emphasized its purpose is to ensure safety and preserve the province's forests. "I know it sucks, but thank you for understanding," the Premier said.

Similarly, Nova Scotia's August 5 forest ban, issued to mitigate wildfire risk, sparked public frustration and a Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) petition against Premier Tim Houston's government.

To prevent wildfires, extensive restrictions are in place, including bans on hiking, fishing, off-road vehicles, and camping outside designated areas. Forestry, mining, and other industrial work in wooded areas now requires an exemption permit.

Houston imposed the ban and $25,000 fines to prevent wildfires, citing "incredibly dry weather." Nova Scotia has levied $288,000 in fines to violators of the order.

“Nova Scotia’s forest ban is overkill, and it’s deja vu,” said CCF Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn, noting the province first imposed a similar ban in 2023.

The current ban is active until October 15, or until wildfire risk drops. The CCF may take legal action if restrictions aren't lifted soon.

Premier John Hogan reported Saturday that 3,000 people (1,500 households) remain under evacuation orders. Intense wildfire conditions later forced groundcrew evacuation from the Kingston fire in Conception Bay North.

Hogan announced six-month prison sentences and maximum fines of $100,000 for residents who undermine the fire ban. “The size of the increases and the penalties, including imprisonment, [show] we mean business.”

Hundreds were evacuated last week due to three ongoing fires in Newfoundland: two on the Avalon Peninsula (Conception Bay North and Holyrood areas) and a third in central Newfoundland, south of Bishop's Falls.

Hogan declared a regional state of emergency for the Bay de Verde peninsula due to a "serious and evolving situation," also issuing an evacuation order for Burnt Point-Gull Island-Northern Bay due to increased fire activity.