The turn of the 2,000 citizens of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in Nord-du-Québec, to receive a mandatory evacuation notice on Friday evening due to forest fires.
The municipality recommended to its fellow citizens who could not take refuge with relatives to leave with an emergency kit, in the direction of the arena of Senneterre, a municipality located 88 km further south.
A little further north, some 1,000 residents of Chapais learned on Friday that they would have to wait at least one more day before being able to return to their homes.
Mayor Isabelle Lessard was to provide an update on the situation at a press conference on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.
In Sept-Îles, on the North Shore, where a state of emergency was declared Friday morning, an evacuation order was given to residents of the Plages and Moisie sectors. This advisory affected approximately 5,000 residents.
“This morning, I am closely following the situation of the forest fires, in particular in Sept-Îles”, indicated the Prime Minister François Legault, in a tweet Saturday morning.
“SOPFEU is making every effort to bring the fires under control. And Public Security is working with the Red Cross to take care of all the people who are evacuated, ”also specifies his message on his Facebook page.
“Quebecers form a united people and we will help each other,” said the Premier.
The mayor, Steeve Beaupré, and the emergency measures coordinator for the City of Sept-Îles, Denis Clements indicated at a press conference on Friday at 5:00 p.m. that other citizens should be ready to leave the premises at any time.
This instruction aimed at people in the Sainte-Famille sector north of rue Comeau, between boulevard des Montagnais and rue Holliday, was still in effect on Saturday morning.
The two men recommended that these people prepare their suitcase in advance and a 72-hour emergency kit in order to be able to leave the premises quickly, if necessary.
“It’s an early warning. Let’s plan ahead. Prepare for any eventuality,” said Mayor Steeve Beaupré.
Shelters have been opened in the municipalities of Port-Cartier, Baie-Comeau and Forestville to accommodate people who need to take shelter from forest fires.
135 fires in Quebec
The Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU) reported 135 active fires on Saturday morning in Quebec, including a hundred that were out of control.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, has asked for reinforcements from the Canadian army.
“I have just contacted the federal government to seek assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces with the wildfire situation. We have a very good collaboration and we are doing everything in our power to help the people of the North Shore, ”wrote Mr. Bonnardel in a post on Twitter Friday afternoon.
Federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said on social media that he had received the request for federal aid. He said the government was working “to identify appropriate federal resources.”
In addition, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) wanted to reassure the population on Friday evening in relation to thefts and vandalism. She said in a statement that “erroneous information is currently circulating” on social networks that thefts are taking place in the eastern sector of Sept-Îles.
The SQ pointed out that no incident has been reported in the area, adding that many patrollers monitor the scene day, evening or night.