The forest fire season should be mild in Quebec, according to government authorities responsible for the issue, who held an information session on Friday.
“We’ve been blessed with good weather. Fewer fires are expected than last year. It’s July, we’re heading into peak wildfire season. It’s slower than last year,” said Deryck Trehearne, Director General of the Government Operations Centre for Public Safety Canada., alongside stakeholders from the Canadian Meteorological Centre, Natural Resources Canada and Indigenous Services Canada.
From April to June, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec experienced above-normal precipitation. The humidity and amount of rain that fell helped reduce the number of wildfires in the province, experts say.
For the months of July and August, the severity index expected in Quebec is between the “low” and “moderate” levels, according to Public Safety Canada.
However, vigilance remains required in the province due to dry weather forecasts that promote the emergence and spread of fires. As of July 12, there are approximately 70 active forest fires in Quebec: 7 of them require intervention aimed at extinguishing and the other 61 are being observed to ensure that no infrastructure or forestry operations are affected.
According to data from the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, 2023 was by far the most destructive year in Canada. More than eight million hectares had been burned by the beginning of July, compared to about one million this year at the same time.
“So far, international assistance has not been required, but the lines of communication remain open,” Trehearne said.
A more critical situation in the West
Elsewhere in Canada, drought conditions in the Northwest Territories and Yukon are increasing the risk of wildfires.
For the months of July and August, these risks are well above average in southern British Columbia.
Smoke from wildfires in northern Alberta is moving south, sweeping into Saskatchewan.