Quebec Imposes Province-Wide Fire Ban Amidst Unseasonable October Drought
Quebec’s forest fire protection agency, SOPFEU, has enacted a rare province-wide ban on open fires, effective immediately, due to unusually dry conditions for this time of year. The measure impacts residents across Quebec, including those in the Center-du-Québec region-specifically the MRCs of Drummond, Nicolet-Yamaska, L’Érable, Arthabaska, and Bécancour-and will remain in effect until further notice.
The decision comes as SOPFEU reports a forest fire preparation level of 3 out of 5,a level typically not reached until much later in the year. Normally, the forest fire protection season is winding down in the fall with reduced staffing. Though, the heightened risk prompted SOPFEU to recall its forest firefighters. Currently, 14 active fires are burning across Quebec, concentrated in the Outaouais, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Capitale-Nationale, and laurentides regions.
The ban encompasses a broad geographical area, including Estrie (Granite, Sources, Sherbrooke, Memphremagog), Mauricie (Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, Maskinongé, Mékinac, La Tuque), Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Ouest, Abitibi, La Vallée-de-l’Or), Capitale-Nationale (Charlevoix-Est, Charlevoix, Quebec, Portneuf, La Jacques-Cartier), Montérégie, Outaouais, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Chaudière-Appalaches, Laval, Lanaudière, Laurentides, Montréal, and Bas-Saint-Laurent, in addition to Center-du-Québec.
An interactive map detailing the affected territory is available on the Quebec Data Partnership website.
SOPFEU is urging the public to adhere to the prohibition and avoid any activities that could potentially start a fire. “The collaboration of the population is essential so as not to increase the workload of the teams and to ensure the security of the population like that of our forests,” the institution stated. Violators of the ban face fines and are responsible for any associated costs, as outlined in Article 155.1 of the Fire security Act.
So far this season,Quebec has recorded 398 forest fires,impacting 1,091.7 hectares in intensive protection zones. This contrasts with the 10-year average of 440 fires and 118,663 hectares affected by this date. The ban is currently in force in Center-du-Québec, including Drummondville and victoriaville.
