The forest fire situation is likely to become more “weakened” this week due to the absence of rain, SOPFEU warned on Sunday, not excluding further evacuations. In Lebel-sur-Quévillon, the return home of residents could be short-lived, Mayor Guy Lafrenière having warned that it will be necessary “to be ready to evacuate again”.
“We confirm that according to all the models in force, we are indeed going to have a difficult week for Abitibi, Nord-du-Québec and the Côte-Nord in particular, where we are not announcing any significant precipitation and heat all the same. quite significant, ”explained the deputy minister associated with civil security, Katia Petit, at a press briefing in Quebec on Sunday.
She maintains that “in general, it will weaken the situation in the regions which were already directly or indirectly affected by the forest fires”, which also includes Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. “Citizens who are in the affected regions or more at risk must be ready during the week to evacuate, with short notice”, persisted Mme Petit, also advising forestry companies “to have their employee evacuation plans up to date and ready to be deployed”.
To date, 112 fires are active, including 92 in the intensive zone. Some 1,400 firefighters are currently fighting the fires, assisted by 19 tanker planes.
“Particularly on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we expect class 5 and 6 intensity indices in the boreal and coniferous forest of northern Quebec, therefore very high and extreme intensities for the entire territory”, a for his part, advanced the strategic advisor to SOPFEU, Sylvain Tremblay.
Quebec calls on citizens to continue to respect the instructions, including the ban on open fires, to “avoid worsening the situation”. “We are looking at which fires are most likely to get out of control again. […] We cannot guarantee that the fires currently contained will not get out of control again,” added Mr. Tremblay.
Lebel-sur-Quévillon reinstated, but…
As of Saturday evening, the mayor of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Guy Lafrenière, had warned that the reintegration of residents scheduled for Sunday could be short-lived. “As there is no rain and no rain is expected until Sunday June 25, the flammability rating is already very high. It will increase further in the next few days and will be at the extreme,” he acknowledged in a short video.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
After an evacuation that lasted more than two weeks, the 2,000 residents of Lebel-sur-Quévillon can finally begin to return to their homes as of Sunday, although a reversal of the situation could disrupt their plans.
Nevertheless, residents who wish to do so will still be able to return to their homes on Sunday. “However, you should be aware that a new evacuation notice could arise at any time. When you return, you must be ready to evacuate again,” the mayor clearly pointed out.
“For people who have family or a place where it is possible to stay for a few more days, we advise you not to come back immediately”, insisted Mr. Lafrenière again, advising his fellow evacuees who are in Senneterre to s addressed to elected municipal officials.
Joined by The Press, Mayor Lafrenière said he expected about two-thirds of his fellow citizens to still come home on Sunday. “On that, that said, there are many who will spend the day and leave tonight or tomorrow. They come to get certain things and then leave, ”explained the elected official, assuring that essential services will still be available.
Moreover, the Boréale and La Taïga schools confirmed on Sunday that they will not reopen their doors in Lebel-sur-Quévillon, for security reasons. “There are young people who are very anxious, adults too. Making them live in such a situation, I find, would not be very responsible on our part, ”illustrated in particular the director of La Taïga school, Daniel Provencher, on the airwaves of RDI on Sunday.
For the rest, his group says it is in “discussions with the ministry” about the end-of-year exams. “We have complaints from several parents to the effect that it doesn’t make sense to pass tests considering the mental state of certain young people who are vulnerable. But we are told that these tests are compulsory and will be postponed to later dates. We are in nothingness,” lamented Mr. Provencher, for whom “sitting young people in front of ministerial tests is frankly not a good idea”.
A fused fire
To date, fire 344, located south of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, has affected more than 378,000 hectares. “It is now merged with five other lights,” the mayor said. “It’s a huge fire, it’s really big. You have to be prepared in case things go wrong. »
Citizens who still choose to return home will need to follow some of the guidelines put in place for safety reasons, as firefighters continue to battle wildfires in the area. Citizens arriving from Senneterre or Chibougamau are asked to hit the road from 9 a.m. on Sunday. The others must wait until 11 a.m. before starting their journey.
Only citizens will be allowed on the premises and they will have to identify themselves at checkpoints. However, it will be permitted for a family member to help a loved one. All services have been restored, but tap water will have to be run for at least 10 minutes before consumption.
With The Canadian Press