In the hardest-hit Abitibi-Temiscamingue region of the province, more than 650 kilometers (400 miles) north of Montreal, fires that have disrupted mining and forestry operations are "worrying," said Quebec Premier Francois Legault.
"We are experiencing a situation never seen... everywhere in Quebec," warned Francois Bonnardel, Quebec's public safety minister, stressing that a large number of these fires were sparked by human carelessness.
"Western Canada usually sees a lot of wildfire activity. Quebec doesn't," he noted. "But right now everything is on fire."
Some 4,400 evacuees were permitted to return to their homes in the northern city of Sept-Iles on the shores of the St. Lawrence River as rains arrived to help stall advancing blazes.
"We are very, very happy to see rain," Legault told a news conference.
But further north, he added, there's "a huge fire which will take weeks to extinguish completely, so we must remain cautious."
- Smoke and ash -
Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather in recent years, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.
After major flare-ups in the west of the country in May, notably in the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, firefighting shifted in recent weeks to Nova Scotia on the Atlantic coast, before turning to Quebec.
Dozens of fires are still burning in the west of the country: 62 in Alberta, 76 in westernmost British Columbia and 24 in Saskatchewan.
Quebec, meanwhile, has recorded 424 wildfires since the spring thaw -- more than double the average annual count over the past decade.
About 100 firefighters from France were scheduled to arrive by Friday to help fight the Quebec wildfires. This is on top of nearly 1,000 firefighters from Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States who have arrived or were en route to bolster firefighting efforts across Canada.
Wildfire smoke on Tuesday strangled the capital, Ottawa, prompting severe air quality alerts, and darkened skies above Montreal and Toronto. Officials urged residents to limit outdoor activities and said the smoke would not likely clear for another few days.
In Parliament, lawmakers complained about the smell of smoke and ash coating surfaces.
Ottawa resident Abe Bourgi told AFP he woke up to a yellowish haze over the city, and the sun a deep orange color.
"The smell of smoke is very strong," he said. "Many people are wearing masks in the streets and you have to close the doors and windows otherwise your apartment will smell like an ashtray."
Similar smoke conditions -- stemming from the Canadian fires -- were reported down the US Atlantic seaboard, triggering air quality alerts. In New York, the Manhattan skyline was barely visible from other boroughs.
Canada braces for possible worst wildfire season ever
Ottawa (AFP) June 5, 2023 -
Canada is facing a dire wildfire situation through the coming months, officials warned on Monday after vast swaths of forests and grasslands from its Pacific to Atlantic coasts have been scorched.
Some 26,000 people remain displaced by fires at present, with about 120,000 having had to flee at some point over the past month.
From westernmost British Columbia to Nova Scotia on the east coast, about 3.3 million hectares (8.2 million acres) have burned so far.
"Our modeling shows that this may be an especially severe wildfire season throughout the summer," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference.
Officials pointed to especially hot, dry conditions in recent months that are forecast to persist through August.
If the current trajectory continues, said Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, "it very well could be... Canada's most severe fire season ever," with fires having already burned 10 times the historic average area.
"Every province and territory will need to be on high alert throughout this wildfire season," he added.
Currently, 413 wildfires are burning across Canada, including 249 listed as out of control. And three provinces -- Alberta, Nova Scotia and Quebec -- have asked for federal assistance.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said the country has seen "some of the most severe (fires) ever witnessed in Canada," and should brace for "continued higher than normal fire activity."
Wilkinson said wildfire risks are likely to "increase in June and remain unusually high throughout the summer across the country. It shows us that this year's already devastating season could well get worse."
Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather in recent years, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.
After major flareups in the west of the country in May, notably in the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, firefighting shifted in recent weeks to Nova Scotia in the east, and more recently to Quebec.
A fire that threatened suburbs of Halifax, the largest city in Nova Scotia, was contained over the weekend with rains and cooler weather helping firefighting efforts. Some evacuated residents were allowed to return home.
In Quebec, the tiny town of Clova was abandoned in the face of advancing blazes, forcing its three dozen inhabitants to flee. About 10,000 residents of Sept Iles also remain under an evacuation order.
With resources increasingly strained, Ottawa has sent in the military to help in hotspots.
About 1,000 firefighters from Australia, France, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States also arrived or were en route to bolster firefighting efforts.
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