The Port-Cartier penitentiary was evacuated on Saturday due to forest fires raging near the city.
The 225 inmates were transferred to other secure federal correctional facilities, Correctional Service Canada confirmed Sunday.
An evacuation notice was issued Friday in several areas of Port-Cartier, on the North Shore. A forest fire had broken out a few kilometers north of the maximum security penitentiary, progressing rapidly towards the city.
“To carry out the evacuation, we have implemented measures, in collaboration with our partners, to maintain the safety of our staff, the public and the offenders in our custody,” the federal agency said in a statement .
The City of Port-Cartier was to meet on Sunday morning with the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU). A press briefing is planned for the beginning of the afternoon to take stock of the situation.
