Fire ban in effect for Pontiac, Outaouais

Fire ban in effect for Pontiac, Outaouais

On May 28, the ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts enacted a ban on open fires in or near forests throughout most of the province, including the Outaouais, due to current weather conditions. Melanie Morin, an information agent with Quebec’s forest fire fighting agency, SOPFEU, explained that the fire danger index went from high to extreme over the weekend and is expected to remain that way for at least a week.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Pontiac area, as sunny weather with temperatures in the 30s have been forecasted for the week, with no rain in sight. Morin added that the unseasonably warm weather has created perfect conditions for forest fires.

Up to date information on the forest fire situation in the province is available on the SOPFEU’s website.

The full interview with Morin (3m20) is available here.