On Saturday, a forest fire broke out in the Saint-Joseph-de-Coleraine sector, about twenty kilometers from Thetford Mines. Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze for several hours.
According to the director of the Saint-Joseph-de-Coleraine fire department, Marco Côté, the fire spread over a two-hectare area at the corner of Chemin de Vimy and Route Chrétien.
“The fire started with a person burning forest debris in the afternoon while clearing their land. He had put out the fire, but the wind carried the embers into the forest and the sun rekindled them,” he explains.
Firefighters from the Disraeli and Thetford mines arrived to help their local colleagues put out the fire. Director Côté finally declared the situation under control around 9 p.m.
The Society for the Protection of Forests from Fire (SOPFEU) was called to help. Sûreté du Québec patrol officers were also on hand to direct traffic while Vimy Road was closed to the public during the operation.
No spread was observed in the hours after the first emergency call from the fire department. SOPFEU returned to the field the day after the events to analyze the crime scene.
Can you share information about this story with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?
Write to us or call us directly at 1-800-63SCOOP.