MONTREAL -- Quebec is sending a team to help battle fires that are ravaging the forests in Manitoba, the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) announced Thursday.

The organization explains the risk of forest fires in Quebec is currently low to moderate, so the province is in a good position to send firefighters to places that need help.

Thursday, SOPFEU says 40 forest firefighters, as well as numerous other resources, are on their way to Manitoba.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, an air tanker and its crew were deployed to Ontario to fight fires in that province.

According to SOPFEU, there are now 198 firefighters from Quebec in various Canadian provinces, including in British Columbia, to help battle major forest fires.

Some of them will be completing their 14-day work cycle shortly and are expected to return to Quebec this week.

SOPFEU reports that, as of Thursday morning, there are only two active forest fires in Quebec, in the James Bay region and the Manicouagan region, and both are under control.

Since the beginning of the season, 450 forest fires have ignited in Quebec.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 29, 2021.