Quebec is moving from reactive to offensive mode to fight forest fires, announced Sunday the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina. However, a return “in the very short term” is not planned for the citizens of the evacuated communities, said the minister in a press briefing, in Quebec.
“Things are improving,” Blanchette Vézina said, noting that there are fewer forest fires that continue to spread in the province. Of the 118 active fires on Sunday morning, 44 are still not contained. The staff of the Society for the Protection of Forests against Fire (SOPFEU) still prioritize 38 of these fires.
Thanks to the reinforcements arriving from abroad, in particular from France and other Canadian provinces, “we are going into offensive mode” indicated the Minister, saying that “attacks made in a coordinated manner” will be carried out. The fire that threatens the community of Obedjiwan will also be prioritized by French firefighters.
Some areas of the province received rain Saturday evening and overnight, but the precipitation was not enough to significantly reduce the flammability rating, which is expected to remain high through Tuesday, Ms. Blanchette Vezina.
“There is still little precipitation that is expected until Tuesday,” said the minister.
The regions of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec remain those of greatest concern to the authorities. Even if the mayoress of Chibougamau, in Nord-du-Québec, had announced on Saturday that the citizens of the municipality could return to their homes during the day on Monday, the Minister of Forests indicated that a “return in the very short term is not expected in the two critical regions.
Ms. Blanchette Vézina, however, indicated that discussions are underway with the evacuated municipalities in order to assess “returns during the week”.
The main fires monitored by SOPFEU are those threatening Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in Jamésie, and Normétal, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
“There is the perimeter of municipalities, communities, which have been partly controlled, that’s good news,” said Ms. Blanchette Vézina. But, the fact remains that the fire could grow due to winds, due to the flammability context, so we are still in action on these fire complexes. »
Sunday morning, 737,000 hectares were affected by forest fires in the intensive zone, for a total of more than one million hectares in the province.
Senneterre always on high alert
The municipality of Senneterre, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, continues to carry out work, in particular on firebreaks, in order to protect the city if the nearby fires, including that of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were to come closer to its territory. . Several citizens of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, which was evacuated, are also housed in Senneterre.
“The situation is stable, but it remains unpredictable,” said Marilyne Fournier, emergency measures coordinator for the City of Senneterre, during a press briefing on Sunday morning.
“We are going to have all summer on high alert,” added Ms. Fournier, specifying that the work is currently being carried out as a preventive measure.
The municipality also invites citizens to continue cleaning their land in order to prevent flammable objects from being found there.
The mayor of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Guy Lafrenière, reiterated that “the lights have not moved” for the past three days. He also said that reinforcements from the United States will come to help from Tuesday and Wednesday.
“There is a team of more than 100 people from the United States who will come as reinforcements to Lebel-sur-Quévillon to fight fire 344, the one that is almost in our city. These teams will arrive on June 13 and 14. Around sixty one day, and around sixty the other day, ”said the mayor, in a video posted on the municipality’s Facebook page on Sunday morning.