New Brunswick is rolling out a new wildfire management plan based on lessons learned from last year’s fire season.
Natural Resources Minister John Herron said the plan reflects the province’s commitment to improving readiness as wildfire conditions continue to intensify.
Herron explained that the province is focused on protecting people and infrastructure.
“New Brunswick’s investments in wildfire readiness reflect our commitment to protecting communities, critical infrastructure and the environment,” Herron said.
He added that the province is preparing for longer and more intense fire seasons.
“As we confront increasing wildfire threats, we are improving our capacity to adapt and respond swiftly to the challenges posed by a changing climate,” Herron said.
The 2025 season saw 444 wildfires burn about 3,400 hectares of forest.
The province’s Strengthening Provincial Wildfire Response report says prolonged drought, extreme fire behaviour and several major fires near communities placed heavy pressure on provincial resources.
The report also highlighted that staffing and coordination challenges emerged during weeks of sustained operations.
An after‑action review found strong frontline response but identified gaps in staffing, communication, coordination and resource management.
The review found that staffing shortages, reliance on volunteers and limited rotation capacity created challenges during long periods of intense wildfire activity.
To address those issues, the province has converted 74 seasonal forest ranger positions into year‑round roles, purchased new firefighting equipment and funded community wildfire resiliency plans.
The report highlighted that 24 communities have completed resiliency plans through the FireSmart program, and additional funding has supported Indigenous organizations in developing their own preparedness initiatives.
The plan is built around five pillars:
- Communication with partners and the public
- Partnerships and coordination that strengthen wildfire management
- Infrastructure and tools essential to wildfire response
- Rules and decision frameworks for wildfire emergencies
- Workforce capacity to support long‑term readiness
The actions are part of a five‑year plan that began after the 2025 season and runs until 2030.
The province also updated its wildfire dashboard and website based on feedback from staff, partners and stakeholders.
Herron said the improvements are intended to support better public awareness and more coordinated emergency response.
The plan is designed to help New Brunswick anticipate and manage increasingly complex wildfire seasons while ensuring communities and responders have the support they need.
