SOPFEU is preparing to intensify its fighting in James Bay, where wildfires have burned historic amounts of territory in recent weeks.
“We are preparing more intensively for the fight during the week, especially in the Radisson sector and around the recently evacuated communities,” said SOPFEU spokesman Josée Poitras.
There are currently 79 fires registered in the northern zone, most of them in the Baie James sector.
From this number, about ten fires are classified by SOPFEU as “out of control”.
“The weather announced in the coming days will help us, the relative humidity and the rain we could receive,” Ms Poitras explained.
A large firefighting team from the United States will travel to Radisson Monday accompanied by wildland firefighters.
In this zone, SOPFEU only fights fires that can affect communities or strategic infrastructure.
main area
However, the fires, which were located quite far from the communities, destroyed historical areas.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 2.8 million hectares have burned in the northern zone, which includes most of the areas north of the 50th parallel.
Fire 218 alone has burned more than a million acres so far. This fire caused by lightning, registered at the end of May, is located in the heart of the Jamésie area.
“It’s the largest historic fire in all of Quebec in the areas we protect,” Ms. Poitras said.
Between 2014 and 2022, wildfires in this area destroyed an average of just 30,000 hectares per year.
evacuations
On Friday, Radisson residents had to be evacuated by plane to Montreal because Billy Diamond Street, the only road leading to this city of 170 residents, had to be closed due to a nearby fire.
Photo from the SOPFEU Facebook page
Several Cree communities in North du Quebec, including Chisasibi and Waskaganish, also began pre-emptive evacuations of some of their most vulnerable residents on Friday.
“Fires do not threaten communities […] They are relatively far away but make a lot of smoke. “People chose to evacuate so as not to be isolated and unable to be evacuated or cared for,” Ms Poitras said.
Prime Minister François Legault announced that he would travel to Abitibi and North-du-Québec on Monday. It is the first time he has visited these regions since the forest fires raged there.
“I want to meet the women and men who are still fighting the fires and the mayors who are showing great resilience,” he said on Twitter.