Quebec firefighters say they're 'making good progress' with wildfires

Firefighting crews are switching to an offensive mode as they battle wildfires scorching forests mainly in northern and western parts of Quebec.

There are currently 131 active fires in Quebec, including 44 that are out of control — 28 fewer fires than Saturday, Natural Resources and Forests Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina told a news conference on Sunday morning.

The 38 fires near Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon and Normétal will be prioritized, she said.

"With the resources we got from France and New Brunswick, the situation is more safe," but authorities are not yet ready for the population to go back, since they are waiting for more precipitation to put out the fires, Blanchette Vézina said.

More than 730,000 hectares of land south of the northern zone have burned so far.

"We are making good progress," Stéphane Caron, a spokesperson for the province's fire prevention agency, Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), said in an interview on Radio-Canada's D'abord l'info on Sunday.

He added that the light rain that fell Saturday on some areas plagued by wildfires was "nothing significant" but could be enough to help prevent the blazes from progressing.

Caron said he hopes that the rain expected on Tuesday over northwestern Quebec will help firefighters and change the situation.

He also said the maximum flight hours of water bombers could impact the number of trips and their duration.

"We had at least one plane that couldn't fly in the last few days because of that, but since we have additional planes, that largely compensates," Caron said.

Usually, SOPFEU can count on 15 planes, but it had five more at its disposal thanks to external help.

In Normétal — the Abitibi region of the province — firebreak trenches and preventive watering are helping contain the flames on the outskirts of the city. SOPFEU is waiting to see how the wind shifts in case it puts firefighters at a disadvantage.

Chibougamau Mayor Manon Cyr has started to repatriate some essential workers in preparation for the return of the rest of the population once the evacuation notice is lifted, possibly on Monday.

"If the trend continues, it will be fine tomorrow, but we are waiting for essential services to confirm," she said. "Will the grocery stores be ready, will the hospital have enough employees? These are some elements that remain to be assessed."