SEPT-ILES | Residents of an area of the city of Sept-Îles that could be evacuated soon are on the alert in front of the forest fires which continue to rage, but calm remains for most of them.
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“Our suitcases are ready with the most important things [dont] pictures”, says without concern Rémi Gagnon, who welcomed us with his dog, Étincelle. There are bigger dramas than that in life. If something happens […] we have insurance.
Mr. Gagnon lives in the Sainte-Famille sector. Its residents have been warned that they could be the next to have to leave their homes.
This pre-alert was reiterated by Mayor Steeve Beaupré at a press briefing at City Hall on Saturday morning.
The Plages, Moisie and Lac Daigle sectors were already evacuated yesterday, forcing some 5,000 people to relocate.
According to the website of the Society for the Protection of Forests against Fire (SOPFEU), the blaze 172 is still out of control, and 33,412.2 hectares have been ravaged. The authorities indicated Friday that the fire progressed at a slower speed than the scenario envisaged.
As for fire 215, north of Lac Daigle, SOPFEU considered that it was out of control, having affected 957 hectares.
Do not panic
If no column of smoke is perceptible from the Sainte-Famille sector, several households are ready to temporarily relocate.
Among the Septilians met by The newspaper, a certain feverishness is palpable. However, there is no question of panicking for the moment.
“We don’t really intend to leave, but if ever there is something, we have friends further away in Baie-Trinité,” says Guillaume Monger, whose trailer is parked next to his residence.
Laurent Lavoie / JdeM
Guillaume Monger, who lives in the Sainte-Famille sector, refuses to panic despite the evacuation pre-alert.
“We are preparing quietly for the case, but we are not more nervous than that, adds Mathieu Lacroix, another neighbor. The suitcases are not ready.”
However, he adds that some have already taken to the road as a precaution.
To reassure
Mayor Beaupré wanted to be reassuring at a press briefing.
He said no evacuations were planned today. “The status quo remains for the Sainte-Famille sector,” he said.
The Sûreté du Québec remains very present during this time. The newspaper found several vehicles roaming the streets on Saturday morning.
For now, it is difficult to discern the color of a flame from the city. Apart from some clouds – which we do not know if they come from the fires – the sky is generally intact. A smell of smoke is however palpable in the air.