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Montreal air quality alert: 18 active wildfires burning in Quebec — with one new blaze

Wildfire smoke is affecting the city’s air quality with 8 fires under control, 9 fires being held and one new fire.

Laura Osborne
Written by
Laura Osborne
Editor, Time Out Canada
Wildfire
Photograph: Artem Finnsky
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If you woke up this morning in Montreal and thought you smelled smoke, you were right.

As a series of wildfires flared up north of Montreal over the weekend, the smell of smoke drifted through the city.

Is it smoky in Montreal right now?

According to a report by CTV news, Montreal had an air quality index in the 50s, or “moderately bad” this morning.

There have been a total of 417 fires in Quebec this year, helping to prompt the U.S. to hit Canada with a new travel advisory.

Since the start of the protection season, 398 forest fires have impacted 1,091.7 hectares. 

According to Quebec’s forest fire protection agency, SOPFEU, 18 wildfires are currently burning across the province, with six located near Saint-Jérôme and Saint-Sauveur — including one that ignited on Saturday.

One fire that broke out Friday just west of Highway 25 is now classified as “being held.” 

Another, which started Saturday southwest of Maniwaki and remains uncontained.

The Ministry of Public Security will prohibit open-air fires in or near forested areas starting October 4 at 8:00 a.m., due to current conditions. 

Where are the fire bans in Quebec?

The decision made in collaboration with SOPFEU affects the following areas:

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE : Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Ouest, Abitibi, La Vallée-de-l’Or.

BAS-SAINT-LAURENT : Les Basques, Rivière-du-Loup, Témiscouata, Kamouraska.

CAPITALE-NATIONALE : Charlevoix-Est, Charlevoix, L’Île-d’Orléans, La Côte-de-Beaupré, La Jacques-Cartier, Québec, Portneuf.

CENTRE-DU-QUÉBEC : L’Érable, Bécancour, Arthabaska, Drummond, Nicolet-Yamaska.

CHAUDIÈRE-APPALACHES : L’Islet, Montmagny, Bellechasse, Lévis, La Nouvelle-Beauce, Beauce-Centre, Les Etchemins, Beauce-Sartigan, Les Appalaches, Lotbinière.

ESTRIE : Le Granit, Les Sources, Le Haut-Saint-François, Le Val-Saint-François, Sherbrooke, Coaticook, Memphrémagog, Brome-Missisquoi, La Haute-Yamaska.

LANAUDIÈRE : D’Autray, L’Assomption, Joliette, Matawinie, Montcalm, Les Moulins.

LAURENTIDES : Deux-Montagnes, Thérèse-De Blainville, Mirabel, La Rivière-du-Nord, Argenteuil, Les Pays-d’en-Haut, Les Laurentides, Antoine-Labelle.

LAVAL : Laval.

MAURICIE : Mékinac, Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, Des Chenaux, Maskinongé, La Tuque.

MONTÉRÉGIE : Acton, Pierre-De Saurel, Les Maskoutains, Rouville, Le Haut-Richelieu, La Vallée-du-Richelieu, Longueuil, Marguerite-D’Youville, Roussillon, Les Jardins-de-Napierville, Le Haut-Saint-Laurent, Beauharnois-Salaberry, Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

MONTRÉAL : Montréal.

OUTAOUAIS : Papineau, Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, Pontiac.

SAGUENAY–LAC-SAINT-JEAN : Le Domaine-du-Roy (au sud du 49e parallèle), Maria-Chapdelaine (au sud du 49e parallèle), Lac-Saint-Jean-Est, Saguenay, Le Fjord-du-Saguenay (dans la partie au sud de la rivière Saguenay).

For more information about SOPFEU, click here.


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