Amendment to the prohibition on open fires in Or in the vicinity of a forest

The Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts will amend the prohibition on open fires in or in the vicinity of a forest starting on July 13 at noon. This decision to amend the territory affected by this prohibition was taken in collaboration with the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), given the evolution of the weather conditions in Gaspésie and Bas-Saint-Laurent.

The prohibition on open fires now applies in the following territory:  

 NORD-DU-QUÉBEC : Jamésie (991), Eeyou Istchee (Waswanipi, Mistissini, Oujé-Bougoumou, Chisasibi, Eastmain, Nemiscau, Waskaganish, Wemindji) (993).

 CÔTE-NORD : La Haute-Côte-Nord (95), Manicouagan (96), Sept-Rivières (971), Caniapiscau (972), Minganie (981), Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (982).

 SAGUENAY–LAC-SAINT-JEAN : Le Domaine-du-Roy (91) et Maria-Chapdelaine (92), pour leur portion au nord de la latitude 49°, Le Fjord-du-Saguenay (942) – pour sa portion au nord de la rivière Saguenay.

 ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE : Rouyn-Noranda (86), Abitibi-Ouest (87), Abitibi (88), La Vallée-de-l’Or (89).

 MAURICIE : La Tuque (90) – pour sa portion au nord de la latitude 47°45 et à l’ouest de la longitude 74°.

 BAS-SAINT-LAURENT : La Matapédia (07), La Matanie (08), La Mitis (09), Rimouski-Neigette (10).

 GASPÉSIE–ÎLES-DE-LA-MADELEINE : Le Rocher-Percé (02), La Côte-de-Gaspé (03), La Haute-Gaspésie (04), Bonaventure (05), Avignon (06).

To view the map of the affected territory, go to: sopfeu.qc.ca/en.

There are currently 10 fires in activity in the intensive protection zone and 74 fires in the northern zone. Since the start of the protection season, 222 forest fires have affected 16 424,4  hectares. The average for the last 10 years at this time of the year is 327 fires for an area of 116 026,9 hectares.

This prohibition measure is intended to limit the risk of forest fires. Pursuant to section 239 of the Sustainable Forest Management Act (chapter A-18.1), any person who contravenes an order prohibiting open fires in or in the vicinity of a forest or any other action taken by the Minister is liable, in addition to the payment of the costs, to a fine. We all need to cooperate to protect our forests.