The city’s general director, Nicolas Mayrand, affirmed that “the situation is the same” as the day before. “It’s the status quo, nothing has changed,” he declared at a press conference.
The mayor of Port-Cartier, Alain Thibault, declared a state of emergency for a period of five days.
Present at the press conference, the MP for the Duplessis constituency, Kateri Champagne-Jourdain, announced that the government of Quebec would offer the same financial assistance as last year, up to $1,500 for each primary residence evacuated. .
“The government will continue to be there for you. We will provide the same support as last year,” she promised, adding that she remains in “constant contact” with the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, and the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests. , Maïté Blanchette Vézina, in order to follow “the situation very closely”.
In Port-Cartier, the areas of Brunel Park, Dominique Park and residences located north of Route 138 were evacuated Friday evening. The mayor thanked citizens for their quick response. “Everything was done quickly and efficiently. Everything went well. There was no major accident,” he said on Saturday morning.
“Everyone is doing well and in perfect health,” added Mr. Mayrand.
The Red Cross, the CISSS de la Côte-Nord and the Sûreté du Québec collaborated with the City of Port-Cartier to ensure that the evacuation took place in the best possible conditions and to ensure the safety of citizens.
The fire is currently 13 kilometers from Port-Cartier, as was the case Friday evening. According to SOPFEU data, a lightning line was the cause of seven fires Thursday north of Port-Cartier to the north of Sept-Îles.
“Despite the winds, the fire has not progressed since last night”
– David Lamarre, director of the Port-Cartier Fire Safety Service
He specified that the “extremely violent and threatening” fire north of the Port-Cartier penitentiary was reported around noon Friday. It subsequently grew in size, approaching 17 to 13 kilometers from the city. Fortunately for residents, the blaze did not spread further in the following hours.
Around twenty municipal firefighters were deployed on the ground to help specialists from the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU).
Mr. Lamarre also recalled the importance of not traveling in the forest and not making open fires. The Sûreté du Québec sent the same message.
“The police are raising awareness among the population of the importance of not making open fires and not venturing into the forest. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests has issued bans on being in the forest in areas near Sept-Îles and Port-Cartier. Police officers ensure that the bans in force are respected,” underlined information officer Élizabeth Marquis-Guy in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Furthermore, Correctional Service Canada has indicated that the maximum security prison establishment in Port-Cartier is closed to visitors. “We have put in place measures to ensure that evacuations are carried out in a way that does not compromise the safety of the public, our staff or the offenders in our custody,” Noovo Info was told by email on Friday evening. “People whose family members are incarcerated at the Port-Cartier Institution will receive, as soon as possible, information concerning the place where they will be incarcerated.”
In waiting mode
If another evacuation is necessary, residents of the affected areas will receive a “pre-alert,” said Mr. Mayrand. “We are in constant communication with SOPFEU. Everyone is waiting for what happens next.”
To stay informed of upcoming developments, the City of Port-Cartier advises its citizens that they can call 418-766-2348 for essential information and monitor social networks.
The authorities of the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of the North Shore are also on the lookout. “We are monitoring the situation closely. The entire CISSS de la Côte-Nord is mobilized,” said Lucie Cormier, health promotion and prevention coordinator at the Public Health Directorate of the Côte-Nord.
Ms. Cormier called on citizens to limit their outdoor activities and to pay attention to the air quality inside their homes.
“Poor air quality and plumes of smoke can have impacts on health, particularly among people at risk such as babies, the elderly, pregnant women and other more vulnerable populations.”
Still on the North Shore, Sept-Îles is in pre-alert mode due to fires. “The City of Sept-Îles, in collaboration with the City of Port-Cartier, is closely monitoring the evolution of forest fires in the MRC of Sept-Rivières,” it says.
With information from Guillaume Théroux for Noovo Info
