Rain helps firefighters’ efforts in Quebec, but not enough to extinguish flames

MONTREAL – This week’s rainfall likely won’t be enough to extinguish the wildfires in northern Quebec, but the wet weather could give firefighters a chance to get ahead of the flames, officials said Tuesday.

Quebec’s forest fire prevention agency – SOPFEU – is evaluating the effects of recent rainfall, Katia Petit, Quebec associate deputy minister for civil protection, told reporters.

“If enough rain falls, it will allow SOPFEU personnel to intensify their work directly in the field, to work on the fires and prevent them from starting up again once the dry weather returns,” Petit said.

Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said he expects rain to stop falling by Wednesday morning in the regions most affected by forest fires. He said warm, sunny weather could return thereafter with a chance of only isolated showers through the weekend.

More rain could come in the first week of July, but nothing like the “organized system” of showers covering the province this week, Legault forecasted.

Task remains ‘colossal’

Despite the rain, the task of controlling the province’s fires remains “colossal,” said Julie Coupal, SOPFEU assistant director. The agency counted more than 100 wildfires across the province Tuesday, including 77 in the southern half, where more than two dozen fires were considered out of control.

Ongoing evacuation orders had displaced around 4,400 people as of Tuesday morning, including the residents of Lebel-sur-Quevillon, Mistissini and Waswanipi, as well as parts of the communities of Obedjiwan, Ouje-Bougoumou, Senneterre and Val-d’Or.

Meanwhile, NASA is reporting that smoke from wildfires in northern Quebec has reached Europe.

The American space agency said satellite imagery from Monday showed smoke extending across the North Atlantic Ocean to the Iberian Peninsula, France and other parts of western Europe.

Air quality in Europe has not deteriorated to the extent seen in Canada, however, because of the height of the smoke in the atmosphere, NASA explained.

Smoky air led Environment Canada to issue smog warnings in much of southern Quebec over the weekend, and parts of the province’s westernmost region are still subject to an air quality alert.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Feature image: A person wearing a mask makes their way through downtown Ottawa on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Forest fire smoke that has triggered air quality advisories can be seen in the distance over Gatineau, Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick