Provincial government officials have now declared the fires in Central Newfoundland fully contained.

Forestry Minister Derrick Bragg says while the parameters of the fire are not expected to spread any further, people venturing into burned-out areas may still encounter hot spots for some time to come.

He says people may still see tufts of smoke from burned-over areas or bogs well into the fall, unless and until the areas receive some torrential rain.

About half a dozen cabins were lost in the fires.

A debrief on the fires will be held next week, but in the meantime Bragg is commending the crews on the ground and in the air from this province and those from other jurisdictions who came in for helping to limit the amount of property damage.

“Words can’t express” the thanks he has for the many people who came together to fight the fires and keep people safe. He says it’s unfortunate that some cabins were lost, “but the potential was there that we could have lost as many as 200 cabins.”

All forest access roads that were still closed as a result of the fires are now open to the public with some restrictions associated with ongoing helicopter work in certain areas.