Text or radio? Solo car or carpooling? When a forest fire drives out a population, what scenarios are the most effective? Montreal researchers are surveying residents of three cities that experienced evacuations last summer: Sept-Îles, Chibougamau and Lebel-sur-Quévillon.
“When we compare with the United States, they are often bigger cities. And places in Europe where people end up evacuating on foot, as we saw in Greece, for example, we cannot compare that to Chibougamau,” explains Joëlle Cormier, researcher at the department of management of operations and logistics at HEC Montréal, where she is a doctoral candidate.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOËLLE CORMIER
Joëlle Cormier, researcher and doctoral candidate in the operations and logistics management department of HEC Montréal
“We have towns with just one road, often hours apart, so it’s important to look for figures that represent us a little more. »
An online survey was therefore launched on Wednesday, to which residents of the three municipalities, evacuated or not, are invited to respond. Mme Cormier also met around thirty stakeholders and a dozen residents from the three cities at the start of the year.
The data will be used to create digital “simulation models”. ” A bit like [le jeu vidéo] The Simswe create false people, a false city, false roads,” explains M.me Cormier.
These models will make it possible to “test different scenarios, different strategies”, since it is unthinkable to “mobilize 7,000 people” for evacuation exercises.
The researchers from the M teamme Cormier will be able to check, for example, if citizens react more quickly to a radio announcement or a text message, or if we could save time by encouraging the population to use fewer vehicles.
“How to get out?” »
“If we do a total evacuation, as we did, how do we get out? », Illustrates the mayor of Chibougamau, Manon Cyr, in a telephone interview.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, ARCHIVES SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Manon Cyr, mayor of Chibougamau
“Should we have police officers installed in strategic locations? Are we going there in stages? And did we get the messages across correctly? There’s all that too that we might be able to see. » Because despite the emergency measures plans, “it’s the reality on the ground that will catch up with you”.
Mayor Manon Cyr experienced it on June 6, 2023, when the situation in her town in Nord-du-Québec changed dramatically in a few hours. The gigantic forest fire was progressing faster than expected, and there was only “one exit route, the 167, because the 113 was closed”.
The evacuation, which had not initially been considered for several days, suddenly became necessary… that very evening.
“When you’re mayor, evacuating your people is the last thing you want to do. You never want to have to do that again in your life! »
The surveys will remain open for two to three more weeks (unless there are new fires in the region) and reports should be produced in the fall, indicates Mme Cormier.
Consult the survey for Chibougamau
Consult the survey for Sept-Îles
Consult the survey for Lebel-sur-Quévillon
Read the article “Chibougamau’s turn to be evacuated”