Over 160 active wildfires rage across Quebec as U.S. and French firefighters arrive

Dozens of American and French firefighters are arriving in Quebec to help SOPFEU fight a massive wildfire outbreak. As of Saturday, SOPFEU reported over 160 active fires, the vast majority located in the northern zone above the 50th parallel. Forest firefighters are deployed in Northern Quebec, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and the North Shore.

"We have nearly a thousand resources mobilized all over the place," said SOPFEU spokesperson Léa Bédard-Beaulieu, who specified that the organization's intervention capacity is saturated despite aid sent by other Canadian provinces. In addition to firefighters from New Brunswick, Alberta, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island already battling the flames, 18 firefighters from the United States and 43 forest firefighters from France have arrived. American reinforcements came Friday from Maine, Connecticut, and New Hampshire under the Northeast States Pact on Wildfire Protection, while French firefighters arrived Saturday via an agreement with the International Forestry Service Unit, a private organization.

The number of fires in northern Quebec is well above normal. "The 10-year average, on the same date, is 50 fires, but since the beginning of the year, we have had 277," Bédard-Beaulieu pointed out.

Smoke from the 200 reported forest fires in Ontario is moving towards Quebec and affecting air quality in some areas. Environment Canada has issued a yellow alert for poor air quality in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Outaouais, and southwestern Northern Quebec. Although Montreal is not yet under an air quality warning, Environment Canada predicts air quality will decline throughout Saturday, with high health risks expected in the evening and overnight.

Bédard-Beaulieu reminded the public to respect the open-fire bans in effect in western Quebec, which apply to Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Outaouais, Lanaudière, Laurentians, and Northern Quebec regions. "Our appeal to the public is to respect these preventative measures, because we cannot afford at this time to add human-caused fires to the situation. We are already at full capacity," she said.