Five to ten millimeters of rain are expected Wednesday on the North Shore, which should give a boost to forest firefighting teams who are still battling fires raging near Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles.
According to Environment Canada, the cloudy weather forecast at the start of the day should give way to rain from the end of the morning. However, there is a risk of thunderstorms during the afternoon.
For the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU), the arrival of this rain is good news, since it should reduce the intensity of the fires and allow ground teams to intervene “with more efficiency “.
Three forest fires are still considered out of control on the North Shore, meaning they are growing. However, the winds push them north, away from the communities.
Fires forced the evacuation of around 1,000 people in Port-Cartier last weekend, but affected residents were allowed to return home on Monday. The municipality still remains in a state of emergency.
About 200 people are mobilized to fight the blazes on the Côte-Nord. By Thursday, three other sections of forest firefighters and auxiliary fighters will be added to the workforce, in addition to about ten specialized resources.
Rain expected in the region on Wednesday is also expected to have a positive impact on air quality for the next 24 hours.
