The emergency measures committee of the City of Port-Cartier announced that it allows the reintegration of the Parc Brunel and Parc Dominique districts despite the continued state of emergency.
This decision was taken due to recent information from SOPFEU related to the progression of forest fires north of Port-Cartier.
“We see the teams on the ground doing remarkable work, it’s reassuring for us, so after analyzing the situation, we decided to allow reintegration,” comments the mayor of Port-Cartier, Alain Thibault. The weather and wind direction are also a factor in this decision.
He assures that this reintegration is not done because of the impatience of citizens who were eager to return home. It is based on the forecasts of experts who support the City.
Mr. Thibault, however, invites people to remain prepared for any new eventualities. “If the situation deteriorates, we could carry out more massive evacuations. »
1,000 residents were evacuated on Friday evening, June 21.
Residents of Brunel and Dominique Parks can now return to their homes by using one of the access points provided, namely rue du Parc (Tim Hortons) for Brunel Park and rue des Chutes (restaurant des chutes) for the Dominique Park. The Sûreté du Québec is present to ensure that the intervention is carried out safely.
The fight continues
The two forest fires threatening Port-Cartier are still considered out of control by SOPFEU.
“The fires today with the weather, the hot and dry weather, will be active. It is not impossible to see smoke plugs and smell smoke in inhabited areas,” explained Mélanie Morin, information officer for SOPFEU.
With the density of the smoke in certain sectors, it was difficult this morning to map the extent of the fires.
Currently, 172 SOPFEU employees, 15 helicopters and nine air tankers are deployed on the North Shore.
Forest firefighters have started ground work against the fires.
“They will establish helipads, scout for the installation of motor pumps and water lines,” she adds. The rain expected on Wednesday should calm things down, Ms. Morin said.
City teams are carrying out pruning work to secure the municipality’s strategic infrastructure. Deforestation work can also take place near homes.
For any questions, citizens can contact the citizen line at 418 766-2348.
The municipality of Port-Cartier is asking its population to save water.
