A controlled burn is seen on the edge of a wildfire numbered 334 near Mistissini, Que., in a June 6, 2023, handout photo. Almost 1,200 elders, medical patients, pregnant women, infants and other vulnerable people from Cree communities are among the evacuees who have fled northern Quebec due to wildfires and smoke. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-SOPFEU, Genevieve Poirier *MANDATORY CREDIT*
A controlled burn is seen on the edge of a wildfire numbered 334 near Mistissini, Que., in a June 6, 2023, handout photo. Almost 1,200 elders, medical patients, pregnant women, infants and other vulnerable people from Cree communities are among the evacuees who have fled northern Quebec due to wildfires and smoke. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-SOPFEU, Genevieve Poirier *MANDATORY CREDIT*
MONTREAL - Wildfires in northern Quebec continue to rage despite recent rainfall, and the coming days will bring a risk of lightning, which could spark more fires if strikes hit dry ground, Environment and Climate Change Canada says.
The rain that fell earlier this week was insufficient to put out the fires, meteorologist Steven Flisfeder told reporters Wednesday. And a forecast model suggested fire hot spots were unlikely to receive the more significant precipitation expected farther south over the next few days, he added.
"There has been a bit of help from the rain for those battling forest fires, but unfortunately those fires continue," Flisfeder said. Areas most affected by fires received between 15 and 40 millimetres of rain between Sunday and Wednesday, with possibly higher amounts in localized areas.
Meanwhile, wildfire smoke led the federal weather agency this week to issue special air quality statements for all of southern Ontario and much of western Quebec. The meteorologists said they expected air quality in the Montreal area to worsen as that smoke moved into the city by Wednesday evening.
Quebec's forest fire prevention agency reported 110 active fires Wednesday afternoon, including 73 in the southern half of the province. It has said that lightning is the cause of the majority of fires in the province this year.
However, fires still pose a threat to the town, the mayor said, adding that a third evacuation is still possible.
"There is a risk of fires coming back in full force in July," he warned. "However, we think it would be unrealistic to wait until all of these fires are under control because we'd still be evacuated for four to six weeks."
Almost 1,200 vulnerable people from Cree communities, including Mistissini, are among the evacuees.
"Family is very important to us," she explained. "When we go through a crisis, families want to be together. But sometimes there are processes and protocols that hinder that. And then it creates a lot of social issues."
The displacement, she added, has deprived community members of some of the traditional foods that make up their regular diet. There's also concern among evacuees that fires could destroy traditional camps and trap lines.
