Among the most significant fires, a fire of just over four square kilometers (438 hectares) is raging south of Clova, an inhabited area far from the city of La Tuque. 2.5 square kilometers (250 hectares) of forest are also burning about forty kilometers northwest of the Parent sector where some 350 people live.
The logging roads between Parent and Clova, including Lépine Road, were urgently closed by order of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests. Access to forests is also prohibited.
In the MRC of Mékinac, a fire of just under one square kilometer (94 hectares) also broke out not far from Lac des Aigles, about sixty kilometers west of the Matawin River. The community of Opitciwan is also affected by two fires of an unknown magnitude at the time these lines were written.
It is the weather conditions that explain these blazes, according to Josée Poitras, prevention and communications officer at SOPFEU. Moreover, the majority of fires listed in Haute-Mauricie were caused by lightning.
It’s unheard of since 2005 when we had an extraordinary episode and season, an absolute record of more than 1200 fires
explained Josée Poitras at the microphone of Marie-Claude Julien on Friday morning.
For all of Quebec, SOPFEU has received more than 200 alerts for forest fires to be verified in the last few days. 109 fires are active in the province as of Friday.
A ban on open fires is in effect throughout Quebec and will be maintained for the weekend.
“We suggest that people not go into the forest, also warns the prevention and communications officer. We don’t want people to be surrounded on weekends by forest fires. »
The monitored situation in Parent and Clova
In Parent, the municipal councilor for the sector affiliated with the city of La Tuque is monitoring the situation. Our livelihood, our leisure, our economy, everything is connected to the forest. It’s sure when situations like that happen, it’s always a little stressful even if we’re used to it
maintains Éric Chagnon in an interview at Always in the morning.
He estimates that the forest fire season arrives early this year in Haute-Mauricie. A week and a half ago there was snow
, he says. Now the forest is particularly dry: We haven’t had a big major rain since the spring, so those are aggravating factors.
.
The rain announced Monday in the area, however, comforts the municipal councilor who insists that the rest of things will depend on the weather conditions for the next few days.
It is the winds and then the fact that there are several small fires which are not very far from each other. When these fires merge together well it makes a big fire which is a lot more difficult to control
explains Éric Chagnon.
The Wemotaci community on high alert
A few kilometers away, the Atikamekw community of Wemotaci is also monitoring the fires in activity in Haute-Mauricie.
We reassure the population, the team of the Wemotaci Emergency Measures Select Committee is mobilizing and will be ready to act according to the evolution of the forest fire situation in our region.
can we read in a press release.
Community authorities note that since the news of a fire nearby, many people are going to the gas station to fill up with gas. If you have to evacuate urgently, we recommend everyone to limit themselves to the 40 liters of gasoline that will be needed for an evacuation by land and to give others a chance as well.
warns the committee.
Based on interviews conducted on the show Toujours le matin
