Evacuees Can Return in Sept-îLes, but More Than 160 Wildfires Still Burning in Quebec

Quebec Premier Francois Legault checks the map where forest fires are raging as he visits the crisis operation centre, in Quebec City, June 5, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

One Quebec city that had been threatened by approaching wildfires has lifted an evacuation order, but other parts of the province continue to deal with out-of-control blazes that are taxing firefighting resources.

About 6,000 residents of Sept-Îles, Que., and the nearby Innu community of Mani-Utenam had been under an evacuation order since Friday after one of three fires in the region neared the area.

Sept-Îles Mayor Steeve Beaupré told a news conference today the fire was no longer deemed a threat and people will be able to return home.

Premier François Legault is visiting the city in Côte-Nord region in eastern Quebec, meeting civil security officials and firefighting teams.

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel will visit northwestern Quebec, notably Val d'Or, where nearby communities have been evacuated.

According to the province’s forest fire prevention agency, more than 160 forest fires are burning in the province, including more than 100 that are considered out of control.