Port-Cartier, Que., evacuees can return home after wildfire warning

CBC

June 24, 2024 at 2:52 p.m.·1 min read

The city of Port-Cartier declared a state of emergency for five days on Friday. (Submitted by Denise Richard - image credit)

About 1,000 residents who were evacuated Thursday from their homes in Port-Cartier, on Quebec's North Shore, due to forest fires can now return home.

However, the city has not lifted its state of emergency and Mayor Alain Thibault said the city may have to be evacuated again if the nearby fires don't get under control.

Inmates at the local prison were also moved to other federal correctional facilities, though it's unclear when they will return to the Port-Cartier Institution.

Mélanie Morin, a spokesperson for Quebec's forest fire agency SOPFEU, said the two nearby fires on the North Shore are still out of control, and hundreds of firefighters and a dozen water bombers are active. She said the rain and humidity forecasted Wednesday will help tame the fires.

There is a ban on open fires and fireworks on Quebec's North Shore.

Workers are also cutting down some trees near Port-Cartier to protect city infrastructure, said the city manager Nicolas Mayrand.

Port-Cartier will see a heavy police presence from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) to ensure everything goes smoothly as people return home.

"It's in these critical moments that we really see the importance of community, mutual support and resilience of Port-Cartier's population," said Thibault at a news conference Monday. "Our priority is your safety and peace of mind."

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