New Brunswick has had nearly four times as many forest fires this season as it did at this time last year, according to provincial statistics.
And the area destroyed is nearly seven times as large, the Department of Energy and Resource Development figures show.
But there's no need for alarm, says provincial forest fire manager Len Mosher.
"If last year was the norm, then they would be pretty alarming," he acknowledged.
However, he said last year was well below average due to the particularly wet spring.
"We're really right around the average for a normal year."
The province has had 145 fires to date, with 155.9 hectares destroyed.
As of the same time last year, there were only 37 fires that burned 22.5 hectares.
Although the government website listed the 10-year average Friday as 141 fires and 188 hectares, leaving some to incorrectly believe the province has already surpassed the annual average just six weeks into the season, it's actually just the 10-year average for the particular day the website is being viewed, said Mosher.
"So this is a pretty typical year."
Mosher said that could change in the coming weeks, depending largely on the weather.
Last year started out slow because of the rainy spring, but the forests started drying out early in July and stayed dry right into the fall. By the end of the year, there were a total of 245 fires that saw 567.9 hectares destroyed.
This spring's historic flooding in the southern part of the province has not had any effect on forest fires, according to Mosher.
"There's a lot of water [from snow melt] that ran off into the brooks and streams and that caused a lot of flooding [along the riverbanks], but it doesn't necessarily mean that your forest is not dry."
When the ground is still frozen, it doesn't absorb the water, he explained.
Rain is what helps keep the forest damp until it has a chance to "green-up" and Mother Nature has been co-operating.
The entire province had been under a burn ban earlier this month, but on Friday, no bans were in place.
So far this season the fires have been so-called fine fuel fires, burning mostly dry grass and twigs.
"They tend to be flash," said Mosher. "They don't burn deep into the ground, they burn on top of the ground and once they hit the heavy forest they tend to slow down or go out."
Mosher said the spring fires are typically not as significant or as threatening as fires that occur later in the season, once the heavier fuels, such as large logs and trees have dried out.
Those fires tend to burn hotter and longer, and are more difficult to extinguish, he said.
Before starting a fire, people should always check with the department to ensure it's safe and permitted, he said.
When they start a fire, they should be mindful that fires can get out of control quickly and threaten structures or anything else in their path.
Some precautions they can take include not building the fire too high or too close to anything flammable and having a water supply available.
Before leaving a fire unattended, they should make sure it's extinguished.
The official forest fire season runs April 16 until Oct. 31.