A blazing sun, a very high mercury, very present winds: the weather announced this week brings together all the conditions favorable to the creation of forest fires, which worries SOPFEU, which says it is on the alert.
• Read also: Open fires prohibited near forests in several MRCs in Quebec
The Society for the Protection of Forests Against fire (SOPFEU) issued a ban on open fires for the entire province on Sunday. Such a ban is in effect when there is a risk of a large fire.
“This week, we are a bit on the alert. Just in the day of Sunday, in total, there were 14 new fires. At the moment, there are 11 in operation and 2 in the northern zone, ”explains Stéphane Caron, spokesperson at SOPFEU.
Until recently, the fires that were recorded in the province were small, about one to two hectares.
“On Sunday, we had fires – for example – from 50 to 90 hectares. We are in a situation where the fires are bigger, so the danger for the population, infrastructures and homes is greater, ”continues the spokesperson.
However, he indicates that the fires currently in activity are contained and do not cause concern.
“We are worried about the lights that we do not have yet,” said Mr. Caron.
It is that with the sun and the high mercury, winds are also announced this week.
“We are in a period when, in several sectors, we have wind and that favors the rapid spread of fires”, explains the spokesperson.
The situation could require the deployment of additional personnel on Quebec territory. In Alberta, there are still about twenty forest firefighters from Quebec.
“We are not in a situation where we are thinking of repatriating the 20 firefighters who are outside. But it is certain that for the moment, we will not make other deployments, ”says Mr. Caron.
The largest fires in Quebec are currently taking place in the MRC de la Jamésie, in Nord-du-Québec, where just over 120 hectares are affected by the disasters.
A little closer, in the RCM of Fjord-du-Saguenay, nearly fifty hectares of forest are affected by fires. In Montmagny, a fire covering an area of 5 hectares is also underway.
