Wildfires in Western Quebec Prompt Thousands More Evacuees to Relocate

Wildfires in Western Quebec Prompt Thousands More Evacuees to Relocate
Smoke rises from burning trees near Chapais, in Northern Quebec, on June 2, 2023. Handout: SOPFEU Prevention and Communications-Audrey Marcoux/The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Updated:

MONTREAL—Wildfires in northwestern Quebec prompted thousands to evacuate the area over the weekend, as the number of blazes pushed past 140 and the military geared up to fight the encroaching flames — even as that threat eased slightly Sunday on the North Shore.

Some 5,500 residents of the Abitibi−Témiscamingue region, which borders Ontario, have been relocated, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said at a news conference in Montreal.