Smog warnings are in effect as smoke from wildfires covers large parts of Quebec

Thick, smoky air blanketed many parts of Quebec on Sunday as more than 110 wildfires in northern parts of the province put more communities on alert for new evacuation orders.

Environment Canada issued smog warnings for broad parts of the north, south and west of the province, including Montreal, Québec, Laval, Longueuil and Trois-Rivières.

In Montreal and Ottawa, the air quality health index was at 10 or higher, a level described as “very high risk”.

Environment Canada said poor air quality is likely to continue until Monday morning, adding that the risk is highest for people with lung or heart disease, the elderly, children, pregnant women and those who work outside the home.

“Stop all outdoor activities and contact your health care provider if you or anyone in your care experiences shortness of breath, wheezing (including asthma attacks), severe coughing, dizziness or chest pain,” it wrote. “Stay indoors if you experience symptoms or feel unwell.”

In Montreal, the smell of smoke lingered beneath the yellow-gray sky as officials canceled activities and urged people to stay indoors.

A triathlon in Montreal and an ironman race in Mont-Tremblant were both canceled, as were local football and baseball games.

Quebec Premier François Legault said on Twitter that the fires in the north of the province remain a concern smog.

“Air quality is affected by smoke in all regions of Quebec,” he wrote. “It’s best for people at risk to stay indoors and close your windows.”

Meanwhile, the 7,500 residents of the Chibougamau commune in northern Quebec were tense after being warned they may have to evacuate their homes for a second time this month as two wildfires that have run out of control gain ground.

Officials have asked residents to remain vigilant and calm in case they have to leave, though they said on Sunday an evacuation order was not yet necessary.

In an afternoon update, Mayor Manon Cyr said the two fires were 8 and 9 miles from the “trigger point” which would give the municipality seven to 10 hours to conduct an orderly evacuation.

“Right now we’re quite a distance from the fire,” she said.

She said a rainy weather forecast for the next few days raised hopes that the situation will improve, though she warned: “I only believe (in the rain) when I see it.”

Since Thursday, thousands of people have been asked to leave their homes in northern Quebec due to heavy smoke from the fires.

These include the approximately 2,000 inhabitants of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, parts of Senneterre and Val-d’Or in the northwest, as well as several smaller villages.

Lebel-sur-Quévillon councilor Denis Lemoyne said in an update that smoke and temperature conditions were “quite intense,” but officials hoped calmer winds “should give us a chance.” The community had to ask residents to leave for a second time last week, just days after they were allowed to return home.

The Cree Nation of Mistissini said on its Facebook page on Saturday that firefighting teams and military forces were forced to move as fires threaten an access road.

They said the community is also at risk of “heavy smoke and possible fire” if unfavorable winds create a worst-case scenario, and said it was providing buses to help evacuate those left in the city.

Several other communities have relocated vulnerable residents due to smoke risk.

Stéphane Caron, a spokesman for the province’s forest fire prevention agency, said the heavy smoke limited water bombers’ ability to fly due to reduced visibility.

He expressed hope that the rain forecast in many regions in the coming days can help firefighters and allow the planes to resume full capacity.