MONTREAL – Wildfires in western Quebec have prompted thousands to evacuate the area over the weekend, while the threat of encroaching blazes eased slightly on the north shore Sunday as the Canadian Armed Forces prepared to combat the fire.
MONTREAL – Wildfires in western Quebec have prompted thousands to evacuate the area over the weekend, while the threat of encroaching blazes eased slightly on the north shore Sunday as the Canadian Armed Forces prepared to combat the fire.
Some 5,500 residents of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, which borders Ontario, have been relocated, Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel said at a news conference in Montreal.
Another 4,500 people in the North Shore community of Sept-Îles and its outskirts were also forced to leave their homes due to a pair of wildfires burning north of the city, but no further evacuations are planned at this time, he said. .
Rain is expected in the area in the coming days, although not as much as initially forecast, and the wind direction there and in Abitibi is favourable, it added.
However, the state of emergency in Sept-Îles, which is about 890 kilometers northeast of Montreal, has been extended for five days, with evacuation orders in effect at least until Monday morning. About 100 soldiers were scheduled to arrive Sunday night to lend a hand.
The number of wildfires in the province rose to 141 on Sunday from 134 on Saturday, including 35 being actively fought by teams from the Quebec forest fire prevention organization SOPFEU.
“We are concentrating our battles on these fires because we want to protect human life, houses and businesses. And we want to protect our infrastructure, like that of Hydro-Québec,” Bonnardel said at the press conference held with other public officials.
Hundreds of soldiers will be deployed across the province, joining the 475 firefighters under the SOPFEU banner, he said.
“We are facing a situation that has never been seen before,” added the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina.
Residents are prohibited from entering the forests of several large regions, including northern Quebec, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and parts of the north coast, Outaouais, Mauricie, Lanaudière and Laurentians, Vézina said.
On Saturday night, the regional municipality of Val-d’Or announced the mandatory evacuation of several areas caused by two forest fires and poor air quality. Located within Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the community is in a state of emergency.
Currently, no fire threatens the city of Val-d’Or, SOPFEU said on Sunday. Between 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday, public health officials recommended staying home with windows closed because of the smoky haze that was enshrouding the area.
Some 2,000 residents of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, about 620 kilometers northwest of Montreal, received a mandatory evacuation notice Friday night due to nearby fires. The thick smoke initially prevented planes from flying in the area on Sunday morning before it cleared somewhat.
At a press conference in Sept-Îles, Mayor Steeve Beaupré said caution is key.
“The fire situation is evolving in an encouraging way, but it continues to be out of control and threatening for the municipality,” he said.
“The situation may not have gotten worse, but it has to get better… We made the decision to go gradually and watch developments over the next 24 hours.”
Things change with the weather, warned SOPFEU spokeswoman Isabelle Gariépy.
“As long as it’s not contained, the state of a fire can change depending on where we are with the temperature,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 4, 2023.
Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
