CHAPAI | Even though their community is surrounded by miles of forest, the citizens of Chapais have never been more afraid of losing everything in the flames than in the first days of June.
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“Even today, when there is a smell of smoke, it triggers a reaction in some people,” explained the former mayor of Chapais, Isabelle Lessard, in the months after the evacuation of hundreds of residents from the area south of the 1,600-inhabitant community.
The City of Chapais Emergency Response Committee believes it made the right decision to ask citizens living south of Route 113 to evacuate their homes due to the wildfire 213. Vincent Desbiens
“We were told, 'You have two hours to leave.' Gather the essentials and head to Chibougamau.” At this point it's the end of the world: we don't know if the house will still be there, when we come back. The essence of a two-day absence is not the same as a longer absence,” argues Sylvie Lizée, the owner of Sylvie Hair Salon.
Her father, her husband and she left the town where they had lived for many years to seek refuge with relatives in Lac-Saint-Jean. They repeated the experience when Chibougamau was evacuated a week later.
Catastrophe averted
Public Works Foreman and member of the City of Chapais Emergency Response Management Committee Simon Blanchet believes the change in wind direction played a critical role in the fate of the community route 113 passes through.
“It got off to a very bad start. It is not for nothing that we decided to evacuate the population as a preventive measure. We didn't take it lightly, there was a real risk. Thanks to SOPFEU and our emergency plan, we were able to prevent the worst.”
Like other residents, Ms Lizée's husband, Jacques Leboeuf, claims that the city “made the right decision” when it asked the southern sector to vacate their homes as “the smoke was very disturbing”.
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