(Montreal) Quebec is moving from reactive to offensive mode to fight forest fires, announced Sunday the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina. However, a return “in the very short term” is not planned for the citizens of the evacuated communities, said the minister in a press briefing, in Quebec.
“Things are looking up,” said M.me Blanchette Vézina, stating that there are fewer forest fires that continue to spread in the province. Of the 118 active fires on Sunday morning, 44 are still not contained. The staff of the Society for the Protection of Forests against Fire (SOPFEU) still prioritize 38 of these fires.
Thanks to the reinforcements arriving from abroad, in particular from France and other Canadian provinces, “we are going into offensive mode” indicated the Minister, saying that “attacks made in a coordinated manner” will be carried out.
Some areas of the province received rain Saturday evening and overnight, but the precipitation was not enough to significantly lower the flammability rating, which is expected to remain high through Tuesday, Ms.me Blanchette Vezina.
The regions of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec remain those of greatest concern to the authorities. Even if the mayoress of Chibougamau, in Nord-du-Québec, had announced on Saturday that the citizens of the municipality could return to their homes during the day on Monday, the Minister of Forests indicated that a “return in the very short term is not expected in the two critical regions.
Mme Blanchette Vézina, however, indicated that discussions are underway with the evacuated municipalities in order to assess “returns during the week”.
The main fires monitored by SOPFEU are those threatening Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in Jamésie, and Normétal, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Sunday morning, 737,000 hectares were affected by forest fires in the intensive zone, for a total of one million hectares in the province.
This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.