Lightning sparked dozens of wildfires in July across Quebec as thunderstorms increased
Posted August 6, 2026 10:10 am.
Last Updated August 6, 2026 1:00 pm.
The Quebec forest fire protection agency (SOPFEU) reports that July saw “above-average” wildfire activity in Quebec, largely due to lightning.
In the intensive protection zone, 90 fires occurred in July, affecting 1,675 hectares of forest. In recent years, the average was 66 fires, burning 1,115 hectares.
According to SOPFEU, 41 per cent of the fires that broke out in July were caused by lightning.
This was by far the leading cause, well ahead of improperly extinguished campfires (16 per cent), forestry and industrial operations (12 per cent), smoking-related items (eight per cent), electrical wires (eight per cent), and waste burning (four per cent).
In its report released on Thursday, SOPFEU noted that July was marked by temperatures slightly above normal, a precipitation deficit in western Quebec and on the North Shore, as well as sustained winds, accompanied at times by strong gusts.
“This atmospheric instability also led to exceptional thunderstorm activity, with 243,363 lightning strikes recorded over the past month across the entire province—nearly three times the average for the past seven years,” SOPFEU noted.
The fires that occurred in July were concentrated mainly in Northern Quebec (22), Abitibi-Témiscamingue (16), the North Shore (11), and the Outaouais (10).
In the northern region, 45 new fires burned 16,099 hectares of forest during the month of July—all were caused by lightning. Several fires that started in late June also continued to threaten communities and critical infrastructure.
To fight the fires, SOPFEU teams received assistance from more than 220 wildland firefighters from other provinces—British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—as well as from certain U.S. states.
By the end of the month, the situation in Quebec was “under control,” allowing SOPFEU to return the favor to the teams from British Columbia, who were themselves grappling with numerous wildfires.
