Quebec wildfires: Province bans fireworks in many areas ahead of Fête nationale holiday

Many Quebecers may have to celebrate the province's Fête nationale holiday this weekend without fireworks because of the record wildfire season, the province's natural resources minister said Tuesday.

Maïté Blanchette Vézina said that a ban on outdoor fires — in effect across most of the province north of the St. Lawrence River — includes fireworks.

"It's important to understand that it would be sad and harmful if fireworks set off other fires that could get out of control," she told reporters in Quebec City.

The provincial holiday, also known as St-Jean-Baptiste Day, is on June 24 and often celebrated with fireworks and bonfires.

Blanchette Vézina asked the public — as well as municipalities organizing Fête nationale or Canada Day celebrations — to be prudent. "The last thing we want is for the celebrations to contribute to worsening the forest fire situation in Quebec," she said.

Meanwhile, in the northern municipality of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que., Mayor Guy Lafrenière described smoky conditions as "intense" and said people should protect themselves with N95 masks.

"For citizens who have health conditions that could be aggravated by the presence of smoke, it is strongly recommended to wear an N95 mask and, if it's possible for you, to go somewhere where there may be less smoke," he said in a video posted on the town's Facebook page.

Residents, who were allowed to return home Sunday after they had been forced out for two weeks, should be prepared to leave again if the wildfire situation worsens, Lafrenière said.

Lebel-sur-Quévillon was the last community in Quebec subject to an evacuation order since the wildfire season started.

A large fire near the community was moving toward the main road that connects the city to southern Quebec, Lafrenière said, adding that firefighters hoped a river would act as a natural firebreak and prevent the blaze from reaching the road. But he said the situation was worrisome because no rain is expected before the weekend.

"It will absolutely take rain to help the forest firefighters," he said. "It's the only way, it's really the rain that will make a difference in our case."

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a smog warning for the town and for the neighbouring Abitibi-Témiscamingue region.

Peter Kimbell, a warning preparedness meteorologist at ECCC, said the smog in northwestern Quebec is being caused by wildfires. The area has received significantly less precipitation this month than have other parts of the province, he added.

For comparison, he said, Sherbrooke, Que., in the Eastern Townships, has received close to 100 millimetres of rain this month, while Val d'Or, a city in Abitibi-Temiscamingue, has received a mere four millimetres. "It's very dry up there and therefore any lightning activity could definitely trigger more fires," he said.

Significant rain may come next week, Kimbell said, though scattered thunderstorms were in the forecast for the weekend in parts of the region.

Quebec's forest fire prevention agency said there were more than 100 forest fires burning in the province, but that only 17 were considered out of control. It has said this year's wildfire season is the worst on record.

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