(Roberval) The Mayor of Chibougamau, Manon Cyr, visited the Roberval arena where several of its 7,500 citizens have taken refuge since the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. “You just set the bar high! “, she said to her colleague and mayor of Roberval. The benchmark in hospitality is Roberval. »
Manon Cyr took a flight from Chibougamau to Roberval on Thursday morning. She will return to her city to assist the fire crews later in the day. “We haven’t left the inn, but there is good news. Wednesday’s SOPFEU interventions bore fruit on fire 334,” she told the media.
The weather for the next few days remains a concern, she said. Little precipitation is expected and the wind could further aggravate the situation. Hydro-Québec is monitoring the situation closely since there are two strategic substations for the transmission of electricity in the sector, those of Chibougamau and Chapais, she added.
During her visit to the Roberval arena, which has been converted into a shelter, the mayor thanked her colleague, Serge Bergeron, for his hospitality towards the Chibougamois. The latter explained to him that 450 people slept at the arena overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. Many of them still stay at the shelter, others are hosted by residents around Lac Saint-Jean.
“The bulk of the people arrived around 5-6 a.m. Wednesday. People drove 6-7 hours. So they were tired, but we had a team from the CIUSSS who was there [pour les accompagner]. People with animals were installed in the changing rooms. We had cages that the shelter had lent us, ”explained Mr. Bergeron.
After his visit, the two mayors attended a press conference by François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security. The latter explained that three fires, including that of Chibougamau, are of concern to the authorities. He also announced the establishment very soon of a compensation program for people and cities affected by the forest fires.