Forest fires below seasonal average heading into summer

Forest fires below seasonal average heading into summer

Despite the early departure of snow this spring, it’s been a quiet start to the season according to Quebec’s forest fire fighting service SOPFEU.

Melanie Morin, a communication and prevention specialist with SOPFEU,  explained that while it might be counterintuitive, spring is the period with the most forest fires in Quebec, typically human caused and under 1 hectare in size.

As of May 22, there have been 104 fires across the province, burning a total of 92.6 hectares of land, which is well below the 10-year average of 161 fires and 150 hectares burned. She said that following last year’s unprecedented fire season, the provincial government has invested more money to hire an additional 50 firefighters throughout Quebec, for a total of 330.

More information can be found on the SOPFEU’s website.

The full interview with Morin (4m20) is available here.