Who says dry and hot weather says risk of forest fires. With the rise in mercury announced this week in Quebec, a ban on open fires has come into effect throughout the south of the province, until further notice.
Posted yesterday at 11:42 p.m.
A mass of hot, dry air will sweep over Quebec in the coming days, to the point that the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks issued a ban on open fires in or near the forest on Saturday. the south of the province.
The sectors targeted by this measure range from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to Bas-Saint-Laurent and from Montérégie to Mauricie.
The mercury will rise rapidly in the coming days, reaching 31°C felt – the first of the season – on Friday in Montreal, according to Environment Canada.
However, it is less the heat than the expected low humidity in the air that poses a risk for forest fires, notes the spokesperson for the Society for the Protection of Forests against Fire (SOPFEU), Mélanie Morin.
In spring, the grass on the ground is yellow, and the undergrowth is not yet covered with its carpet of greenery. “When you mix that, everything ignites very quickly,” she explains.
Quebec has already recorded 69 forest fires – including 2 active – affecting 73.5 hectares since the start of the season. For the time being, the province is within seasonal norms, except for one factor.
“What’s remarkable is that the vast majority of our fires this year have been in the last week,” said Ms.me Morin.
Even if the ban on open fires currently only concerns the south of the province, SOPFEU recommends that all Quebecers exercise extreme caution if they light a fire in or near the forest.
“There are places where the fire danger is already high, and it is expected to rise to extreme tomorrow and this week,” warns Mme Morin.
Quebec spared by the floods?
In terms of flooding, however, there is nothing to worry about. The current climatic conditions play rather in our favor. Like last year, everything indicates that Quebec will be spared flooding this spring.
The absence of prolonged heavy rains and cool nights experienced in recent weeks have allowed the southern part of the province to get away with no major flooding.
As for eastern Quebec, where the snow cover remains important, the melting of the snow will have a limited effect on the floods, explained civil security to The Canadian Press. “To have significant consequences, you would have to add a lot of rain. »
However, apart from light showers on Tuesday, no significant amount of rain is expected in the short term, according to Environment Canada.
With The Canadian Press