The wait and the uncertainty are hard to bear for the 600 or so members of the Lac Simon community who have taken refuge at the Center Multisports Fournier in Val-d’Or. Since the evacuation of their village in the middle of the night, they have been waiting for their fate.
“We were all asleep when around 1am we heard police sirens and people banging on doors. We had to leave because the fire really wasn’t that far away and was coming fast toward our home,” said Nancy Pien, a Lac-Simon resident.
Other members of the Anishnabe First Nation said they had less than 30 minutes to collect their luggage and hop into a vehicle headed for downtown Val-d’Or.
“We thought it was terrible what happened in Chapais when they asked to evacuate half the town, but they had time to get their things before they left,” argues a man sitting on the ground outside. shadow of the arena. The rest of us were woken up in the middle of the night and we had to leave urgently. »
Rapid mobilization
Immediately after the evacuation alarm sounded, community members banded together to provide transportation. Three buses were used to transport much of the population downtown.
“We filled the buses in time to tell those who don’t have their own vehicle or don’t want to use one. I couldn’t even see my neighbors’ house,” explains Marie-Louise Pien, Nancy’s sister.
Worried to death
Even though they are treated with small onions during their involuntary stay at the sports center, the Anishnabe lady and her friends are eager to return to their community and look at the condition she is in. A completely different concern gnaws at Ms. Pien, as her daughter and grandson have not announced any news since Friday evening.
“During the week they went into the forest with others, more towards Senneterre,” she says with a tremolo in her voice. I was told that the way to get there is closed, so I’m afraid they got stuck because they can’t be found. »
The state of emergency in Senneterre
The city of Senneterre declared a state of emergency at a press conference on Sunday. Although no evacuation is planned for the time being, the city administration wants to protect itself with all the means at its disposal.
“It’s just about being better prepared. That doesn’t mean we go beyond that [des mesures en place]. […] “Everything is under control, we are monitoring the situation very closely with the public safety authorities and with SOPFEU,” explains the mayor of Senneterre, Nathalie-Ann Pelchat, in relation to the fires that are continuing on more than 12,000 hectares in the south. – east of the city.