The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, indicated that the number of forest fires rose from 138 to 141 in the last hours.
On Sunday, at a press conference, the minister took stock of the situation. Two regions are still problematic: Côte-Nord and Abitibi-Témiscamingue. 1,000 people will be deployed in the coming hours to fight the flames, including nearly 200 Canadian Armed Forces soldiers who will be deployed in Sept-Îles. The workforce is concentrated to fight 35 fires.
“On the side of the Côte-Nord, Sept-Îles and the outskirts, we are talking about more or less 4,500 people who have been evacuated for the moment. In Abitibi, we are talking about nearly 5,500 people who have been evacuated,” summarized François Bonnardel.
The latter also wanted to reassure the population of the Lower North Shore.
“They will receive a lot of food in the next few hours,” he added. […] Now is not the time to empty the grocery stores. I say that very respectfully. There will be plenty of water and food to feed the population.”
As for gasoline, François Bonnardel also indicated that the sector would receive supplies shortly.
“We are doing everything in our power to reassure the population and preserve their property and critical infrastructure,” said the Minister of Public Security.
More complex in Abitibi
The weather should be favorable in Sept-Îles, since rain is expected on Tuesday.
“On the Côte-Nord side, we are expecting rain over a period of two or three days, which should help us, mentioned François Bonnardel. In Abitibi, it’s a little more complicated. The temperature is nice, but the low temperature also helps us. The winds are favorable in both regions.
A total of 74 fires are active in western Quebec, including 51 that are out of control. The situation differs from Sept-Îles where the flames are concentrated on a major fire.
“The situation is under close surveillance in Abitibi, specified the minister. […] There is no concern of a fire that could reach Val-d’Or in the next few hours. We control the situation. Our slight concern is the temperature. It is rare that we complain about the sun, but it does not announce rain in Abitibi.