Forest fire risk extreme: agency

The public is being advised not to make fires in or near wooded areas because of “very high” to “extreme” forest fire risk across the province, according to a warning issued Tuesday by SOPFEU.

The increase in risk is because of winds in excess of 30 kilometres per hour and dry conditions. Marie-Louise Harvey, information and prevention agent at SOPFEU — the society for the protection of forests against fire — said the risk is high in the north of Quebec and Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean area because those regions are unlikely to have rain in the next few days.

Harvey said there have been 219 forest fires so far this year across the province, slightly more than the provincial average of 202. Ninety-eight per cent of those fires are attributable to human activity.