Sept-Iles, Que. declares state of emergency due to wildfires
A city on Quebec's north shore declared a state of emergency on Friday as forest fires raged in different parts of the province, forcing thousands from their homes.
Sept-Iles Mayor Steeve Beaupre said certain sectors of his city about 890 kilometres northeast of Montreal were ordered to evacuate by 4 p.m. Friday as a preventive measure, with an emergency shelter set up in nearby Port-Cartier.
The Uashat Mak Mani-utenam First Nation said the roughly 1,500 residents of the Innu community of Mani-Utenam outside Sept-Iles, have also been told to leave their homes. They will be taken to Pessamit, an Innu community southwest of Baie-Comeau.
Two fires are burning near Sept-Iles, which has a population of just over 25,000. One of those fires progressed quickly overnight, said Isabelle Gariepy, a spokeswoman for Quebec's forest fire prevention organization, known as SOPFEU.
Beaupre said the fire's rapid growth wasn't anticipated. "Last night, according to the latest information, it was not going in that direction, but the fire has progressed a lot," Beaupre said in justifying the evacuation order. "There could be a junction between the two fires that are currently active."
On Wednesday, another out-of-control forest fire in northern Quebec forced the evacuation of about 500 homes in Chapais, east of Chibougamau.
Chapais Mayor Isabelle Lessard said Friday would be decisive in determining whether residents could return home, and she warned that even without visible signs of fire, there can still be danger.
"It remains an invisible enemy," Lessard told a briefing on Friday. "We don't currently see the fire from the city, we don't see any smoke either, but ... it's still there, it's still big, it's still out of control."
Late Friday, Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel confirmed on Twitter that he has asked Ottawa for Canadian Armed Forces assistance to deal with the forest fires in Quebec.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair acknowledged the request and said Ottawa was working to identify the "appropriate federal resources."
Quebec has also sought firefighting help from other countries, notably the United States, Portugal and Mexico, said Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Maite Blanchette Vezina.
About 400 firefighters with the province's forest fire prevention organization are deployed, and the province's civil security department is fully mobilized.
According to SOPFEU, there were 119 active fires in the province as of Friday afternoon, a figure that has been continuously in flux due to the hot, dry temperatures enveloping the province.
Earlier, Bonnardel said about 20 fires have been deemed priorities to protect homes and Hydro-Quebec infrastructure.
Bonnardel said about 10,000 people are affected by the evacuation order on Quebec's north shore and 1,000 in Chapais.
The province's Natural Resources and Public Security departments issued a notice Thursday asking people to avoid travelling in forests as much as possible due to the high fire risk. Earlier this week, authorities issued a ban on fires in or near forests across the province.
Premier Francois Legault on Friday urged people to follow the advice of authorities. "I'm asking all Quebecers not to go into forests, and if you're asked to evacuate to follow that guidance," he told reporters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
BREAKING Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.