Evacuation orders were being lifted on Friday for Quebec residents directly affected by wildfires, but the blazes were still causing poor air quality across much of the province.
Quebec’s Public Security Department said that almost all of the 2,300 people evacuated from their homes would be able to return no later than Saturday because rainfall during the past week has decreased the forest fire threat.
In the northern town of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, home to more than 2,000 people, essential workers began returning on Thursday, with a full return scheduled for Saturday.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow,” Mayor Guy Lafrenière said in a video message on Friday.
The western edge of a massive fire burning east of the town is under control, he said. “To give you an idea of the size of the fire, it measures 107 kilometres wide by 97 kilometres long.” The town’s website says the fire is 24 times the size of the city of Montreal.
Four fires north of Lebel-sur-Quévillon had not grown in 24 hours, Lafrenière said, adding that another fire, burning near a mine around 115 kilometres east of the town, has been contained.
The northern Quebec town has been evacuated twice since June 2.
The Cree First Nation Of Waswanipi, which evacuated people with health issues, as well as pregnant women, elders and infants because of poor air quality, allowed all residents to return Friday.
Quebec officials said the only evacuation order that was not scheduled to be lifted by this weekend was in the city of Senneterre, where 60 cottages — located around 30 kilometres north of the city centre — remained off limits.
Fewer than 100 fires were burning in Quebec Friday, according to Quebec’s wilderness firefighting agency — SOPFEU — with five considered out of control.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada issued smog warnings Friday for the regions around the cities of Montreal and Gatineau and for western Quebec. It said poor air quality could also be expected in northern Quebec, including parts of the far north, as well as in eastern and southern Ontario. The agency said vulnerable people should reduce or reschedule outdoor strenuous activities.
The air quality-monitoring website IQAir said that as of 1 p.m. Toronto and Montreal ranked third and fourth for the worst air quality among major world cities, with only Jakarta, Indonesia, and New York City faring worse.
Real time data from the United Nations Environment Programme showed that the level of pollutants in the air in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto was at least 10 times higher than recommended.
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