Most residents of northern Quebec town return after wildfire threat, but risks remain

LEBEL-SUR-QUEVILLON, Que. – The mayor of a northern Quebec town said Monday that firefighters were making progress combating a nearby forest fire, but he warned residents to be prepared should a new evacuation order be issued.

About two-thirds of residents of Lebel-sur-Quevillon, Que., began returning home over the weekend after officials lifted a 17-day evacuation order due to encroaching wildfires, Mayor Guy Lafreniere said. The return home, he added, had so far gone smoothly.

Low winds have helped firefighters’ efforts, but the flammability index in the region remained high and could increase in the coming days, he said, adding that residents must respect bans on open-air fires and fireworks or risk a $1,000 fine.

“We have to do everything we can to be very, very safe,” he said.

Meanwhile, Quebec Premier Francois Legault on Monday told reporters in the municipality of Ste-Sophie, north of Montreal, that officials were still concerned about wildfires in the province’s northern region and were following the situation closely.

Quebec’s forest fire prevention agency – SOPFEU – reported about 100 active wildfires in the province, down from about 160 at the beginning of June, the premier said.

Despite that progress, Legault insisted, “We are still in a worrying situation.”

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Hundreds of firefighters from outside Quebec have been dispatched to combat wildfires in the province, including a contingent of American firefighters in the area around Lebel-sur-Quevillon. Others come from New Brunswick, France, Portugal and Spain.

On Monday the Quebec government expanded the territory affected since June 14 by the ban on forest access on Crown land and forest roads.

The territories affected by this measure are mainly located in the Nord-du-Québec, Jamésie and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions, but also in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie, Haute-Côte-Nord and Outaouais.

The decision was taken in view of the light precipitation received over the past few days and the little precipitation forecast for early in the week. According to the authorities, the flammability indices for several regions of Quebec could rise from very high to extreme over the next few days.

For example, Environment Canada is forecasting no rain for the whole week in Chibougamau, one of the communities threatened by forest fires. Sunny, dry weather will continue until at least next Sunday, according to the federal agency.

SOPFEU expects all of Quebec’s softwood forests to be affected by the drought.

In the meantime, the ban on open fires in or near forests and the restriction on forest work are still in force in certain areas of Quebec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2023.