Ban on open fires in Quebec extended to almost all regions

The Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks is banning open fires in Quebec in or near forests in almost all inhabited regions of Quebec as of 8 a.m. Tuesday.

This decision, which was announced Monday evening in collaboration with the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), was made in light of the weather conditions that have evolved in certain sectors of the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions.

For several days now, Quebec has been deprived of precipitation, and Environment Canada's weather forecasts predict dry weather for a few more days in several regions, which increases the risk of forest fires.

22 feux de végétation enregistrés au cours de la seule journée d'aujourd'hui (9 mai). Tous de cause humaine. La SOPFEU demande à la population de rehausser son niveau de vigilance et de respecter l'interdiction de feu à ciel ouvert.

— SOPFEU (@SOPFEU) May 10, 2022

Currently, 12 fires are active in Quebec, mainly in the northern regions, from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to the North Shore in the east.

Since the beginning of the protection season, SOPFEU reports that 138 forest fires have affected 114.2 hectares. The average for the last ten years at the same date is 102 fires for an area of 82.4 hectares.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 10, 2022.

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  Quebec's Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks has extended the open fire ban to include nearly all regions of the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward.