Nord-du-Québec knows no respite. Tuesday evening, it was the turn of the residents of Chibougamau to quickly pack their suitcases, pick up the sleeping children and embark on a journey of hundreds of kilometers to find refuge in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
The largest city in Jamésie experienced a commotion on Tuesday evening when the mayor declared a state of emergency and announced the evacuation of 7,500 residents, including those in the resort area.
“We had an opinion from SOPFEU [indiquant] that the fire advanced much faster than we would have thought, ”said the mayor in a calm tone in a Facebook video released at the start of the evening.
“We have time, though. We ask you to be careful and leave with the minimum of your belongings, ”she added.
Maxime Lavoie and his family say they were taken aback by the mayor’s announcement, especially since a few hours earlier, in the morning, she had said that a fire barrier was about to be installed. around Chibougamau.
“We knew it could happen. Recently, there was an evacuation in Chapais, and it’s not that far. But there was no sense of urgency here. We went from no panic in the morning to an evacuation in the evening, ”says the father of three children, including a two-week-old baby. When the evacuation notice was issued, the three little ones were sound asleep.
“We took the minimum, clothes and a little food, because the road could be long. Everyone must evacuate by the same route,” explains his spouse Audrey Hamelin as she tries to leave the city on Route 167 with her family. She plans to take refuge with family in Alma.
To facilitate the evacuation of those who do not have a vehicle, the city has chartered buses that will leave from the Chibougamau arena. The Roberval arena, 255 kilometers away, has also been transformed into an emergency shelter. Mayor Manon Cyr said she spoke to the mayor of Roberval. “He is waiting for the people of Chibougamau,” she said.
Wave of solidarity in Roberval
Chibougamau’s announcement quickly caused a reaction. In Roberval, proposals for accommodation and support poured in on social networks.
This is the case of Stéphane Bouchard, a resident of Métabetchouan, a town located about thirty kilometers from Roberval, on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean. “What is happening is catastrophic, he says on the phone. These people didn’t want that. Me, when I saw [l’avis d’évacuation], I immediately offered myself. That’s the lesser of it. »
The father of the family offered rooms, but also space for farm animals and to camp, if necessary. “I have a family who told me that if they don’t find anything in Roberval, they will come,” he says. I’m going to leave my phone open all night. I’m ready if anyone needs it. »
Chapais on pre-evacuation alert
The Cree community of Oujé-Bougoumou, which numbers 900 people, was also evacuated on Tuesday evening. It is approximately 30 kilometers west of Chibougamau and 10 kilometers north of Chapais.
At 8:30 p.m., the municipality of Chapais, also in Nord-du-Québec, went on “pre-evacuation alert”. “We ask citizens to be ready. Among other things: pack a suitcase for a few days, have your medications and prescriptions on hand, make sure you have gas in your car, and above all, DON’T PANIC”, indicates the municipality of 1600 inhabitants on its Facebook page.
The publication points out that Chapais is not in immediate danger since the fire which originates from the north of Mistissini is still several kilometers from the city. The municipality is also asking citizens to leave the road free for residents of Chibougamau and the community of Oujé-Bougoumou who must leave their region urgently.
About half of Chapais residents were evacuated for several days last week due to the fires.
“It’s very stressful,” says Daniel Harvey, a resident of Chapais for barely a month. He expects to receive the evacuation notice Wednesday morning. “I have four children,” he adds. I have the whole kit to take out for each child, the papers, the hard disks, the photos. We don’t know what will happen, so we have to act as if, when we come back, everything is going to have flared up. »
In the evening, he went to refuel to see the queue. “We see in the streets that everyone is preparing, he describes. And the sky was yellow, yellow, yellow here today [à cause de la fumée]. It’s apocalyptic. »
“We are monitoring the situation closely”
Prime Minister François Legault also posted a message on Twitter around 8:50 p.m. asking evacuees to keep hope alive. “The forest fire situation is changing rapidly, particularly for Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Oujé-Bougoumou, Chibougamau and Mistissini. We are monitoring the situation closely. We will take stock tomorrow morning with François Bonnardel [ministre de la Sécurité publique] and Maïté Vézina [ministre des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts]. Courage to the citizens affected. »
“We are currently evacuating Chibougamau and Oujé-Bougoumou, also tweeted Mr. Bonnardel. Please follow the instructions issued by the authorities. All our thoughts are with the affected citizens. »
The MNA for Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou, Sylvie Bérubé, posted a message on social networks in support of the evacuees. “We are thinking of all of you who have to leave! Courage and hope. To Mayor Manon Cyr, it’s not easy going through this, but it’s life that matters most! Solidarity! It is the same for the communities of Oujé-Bougoumou and Chief Curtis Bosum as well as that of Mistissini and Chief Petawabano, courage since life is the most important! »
Elsewhere in Quebec
On Tuesday, the authorities judged that the three fires around Sept-Îles, on the North Shore, no longer represented a danger. Residents who had left their homes on Friday were thus allowed to return to their homes.
“The fight is far from over. The Moisie Nipissis River fire is still large and active. It could remain so for several days, even several weeks, which means that we could be forced to evacuate certain sectors again,” said Steeve Beaupré, Mayor of Sept-Îles.
Passing through this city, François Legault returned to his comments the day before: the forest village of Clova, located in Haute-Mauricie, did not burn. “What SOPFEU tells us is that the fire is too intense to have planes there. But we are told that for now, the houses are not affected,” he said.
On the side of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in Jamésie, the two most threatening forest fires did not approach the city overnight from Monday to Tuesday, announced Mayor Guy Lafrenière. However, the 2,000 residents have not received permission to return to their homes.
During his press conference, the Prime Minister also affirmed that his government was analyzing the possibility of setting up a compensation program for people who are displaced in the long term.
With Charles Lecavalier, The Press