Chibougamau, Que., mayor says town will not be evacuated due to forest fires

Residents of Chibougamau, in northern Quebec, will not have to evacuate from the town in the foreseeable future, said Mayor Manon Cyr during a news update on Facebook Live.

Fires 334 and 379 are burning north and east of the town respectively, but each remains at a good distance from the trigger lines drawn by Quebec's forest fire agency, SOPFEU. If the fires were to reach those lines, Cyr says Chibougamau residents would have between seven and 10 hours to evacuate. 

Currently, fire 334 is 13 kilometres away from its trigger line, which is 14 kilometres away from the town, says Cyr. Fire 379 is 28 kilometres away from the second trigger line which is 15 kilometres away from the town. 

"Currently, I'm able to sleep peacefully," said Cyr.

The mayor also congratulated residents for respecting the rules and refraining from lighting any fireworks in celebration of St-Jean-Baptiste Day — a popular holiday in Quebec. 

The town is currently enveloped by a thick plume of wildfire smoke. According to Cyr, the smoke has resulted in low visibility in the area, grounding tank planes. 

The mayor suggested people stay indoors with their windows closed and limit ventilation to ensure they're not inviting pollutants inside.

She also says she is eagerly anticipating the rain forecast for the town on Monday.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she said. 

Winds are also expected to blow from the southeast to the northwest on Monday, the city said in a statement posted to Facebook, which should help keep the fire away from SOFEU's trigger line.

In the case that Chibougamau residents are asked to leave the town, they will be eligible to request compensation from the Quebec government again.

All residents of Chibougamau were ordered to immediately evacuate from the town on the evening of June 6, before being allowed to begin returning home almost a week later, on June 12. The public was invited to relocate to Roberval, about 255 kilometres away.

Chibougamau would not be the first city in Quebec to face a second evacuation. In Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in Jamésie, another evacuation took place Thursday evening and was still in effect Sunday morning.

Rain is expected in Chibougamau Monday, but Lebel-sur-Quévillon will likely have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday for precipitation.

Households forced to evacuate a second time are entitled to request another $1,500 in compensation from the Quebec government.

Across the province, 81 fires were still active Sunday afternoon —  28 considered out of control — in addition to 35 others in the northern zone, according to SOPFEU.

Besides Lebel-sur-Quévillon, evacuations are also underway in certain sectors of Senneterre and Val-d'Or, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, as well as Mistissini and the locality of Valcanton, in northern Quebec. More than 430 vulnerable people from the community of Obedjiwan, in Mauricie, were also forced to leave as a preventive measure.

Poor air quality across Quebec, Environment Canada says

Areas in Quebec beyond where the flames are raging Sunday are feeling the impact of wildfires as Environment Canada considers the air quality in much of the province to be poor.

Environment Canada had already issued smog warnings Saturday morning in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, as well as in Rivière-du-Loup, Trois-Pistoles, La Tuque and Mont-Laurier, but the federal agency added new regions to the list on Sunday.Major cities such as Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Longueuil and Trois-Rivières are all subject to a smog warning on Sunday, as are several other regions in the St. Lawrence Valley and surrounding areas.

And for areas that are not under a smog warning, a special weather report has been put in place about air quality, meaning almost all of Quebec, from Montreal to Sept-Îles, is struggling with ripple effects from the forest fires. .

Environment Canada recommends reducing your activity level if you feel discomfort while breathing, wearing a properly fitted mask such as an N95 respirator, and reducing sources of indoor air pollution.

People with lung conditions like asthma or heart disease, the elderly, children, pregnant women and people who work outdoors are at greater risk of health effects from smoke, the federal agency says.