Forest fires in Northern Quebec: Another 2,000 evacuated from their homes
CTV
Another northern Quebec town was evacuated due to an out of control wildfire on Saturday as the federal government confirmed that Canadian Forces personnel would be deployed to help combat forest fires in the province.
Another northern Quebec town was evacuated due to an out of control wildfire on Saturday as the federal government confirmed that Canadian Forces personnel would be deployed to help combat forest fires in the province.
About 2,000 residents of Lebel-sur-Quevillon, about 620 kilometres northwest of Montreal, were the latest to receive a mandatory evacuation notice on Friday evening due to forest fires nearby.
Lebel-sur-Quevillon Mayor Guy Lafreniere said Saturday the fire continued to threaten the municipality even though its spread had slowed overnight. There was heavy smoke throughout the town and forest fire prevention teams were doing trenchwork in the area to protect it. Residents were relocated to Senneterre, about 90 kilometres south of the community.
In the North Shore community of Sept-Iles, where a state of emergency was declared Friday morning, an evacuation order for residents of certain sectors of town remained in place. It was the same story in the nearby Innu community of Mani-Utenam, where 1,500 residents belonging to the Uashat Mak Mani-utenam First Nation have been relocated.
The two wildfires threatening the area remained largely stable and did not progress much overnight. Sept-Iles Mayor Steeve Beaupre said no new evacuations were planned, but residents of one sector remained on alert. About 5,000 people were forced from their homes as a precaution in the city about 890 kilometres northeast of Montreal.
Meanwhile, members of the Anishinaabe community of Lac-Simon in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region also had to evacuate on Saturday. Community members relocated to Val-d'Or due to poor air quality in the community. Public health officials in the region declared a confinement as of 6 p.m. until 9 a.m., asking residents to stay indoors and keep windows closed.
Quebec forest fire prevention organization SOPFEU reports there are 134 active fires in the province, including about 20 that are priorities because they threaten residences or infrastructure.
