Smog, air quality alerts across much of Quebec as wildfires continue to burn
MONTREAL – Environment Canada has issued a smog warning for much of Quebec as wildfires continue in the province’s northwest.
The federal department says smog can be expected in the northwestern region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, as well as a large area stretching from Gatineau, Que., near Ottawa, to the county’s eastern border with the state of Maine.
That area includes Montreal, which has experienced several days of smog this week, and Quebec City.
Environment Canada has issued an air quality alert for other areas further north, including parts of the province’s far north.
Quebec’s wildfire prevention agency says 96 fires are currently burning in the province, including a new blaze reported Friday, though only three are considered uncontrollable.
All Quebec residents displaced from their homes by the fires are allowed to return, though an evacuation order is still in effect for a rural area of 60 cottages in the town of Senneterre, Que.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 1, 2023.
