The 2023 forest fire season officially begins this week in New Brunswick and it runs until the end of October.

While the season has just started, there have already been about 20 fires provincewide.

N.B. wildfire prevention officer Roger Collet said while the north still has some snow cover, the south has been drying out.

“We’re looking at a few fires. Most of them are just grass fires. Nothing too serious. I think we’ve had about 130 hectares that burned over so far.”

Collet noted how the ground can be deceiving in the spring even with moisture beneath your feet.

“But the dead standing grass is up in the air and it’s dry and that’s what burns. So fire can still move across the land, even though the ground itself is still wet.”

Anyone igniting a Category 1 fire (fires with a diameter of three metres or less) should ensure burning is allowed in that area.

This can be done by calling the toll-free burn line at 1-866-458-8080 or by visiting the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development website.

Category 2, 3 and 4 fires require a written permit and applications are available at the department’s district offices.

The provincial forest fire index map by county is updated daily at 2 p.m. during the fire season.