#safety

Heat: records and forest fires

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / August 22, 2025 / #fire, #Gaspe, #heat, #nelson sergerie, #record, #safety, #SOPFEU

GASPÉ – Several records were set between August 10 and 13 during the heatwave that affected much of the Gaspé Peninsula.

On August 14, three records were set during hot and humid weather, while drought and lightning caused three forest fires in the Gaspé region.

According to Environment Canada, the thermometer reached 35.6 degrees Celsius in Gaspé, eclipsing the 33.3 degrees recorded in 1953. Meanwhile, 24.2 degrees were measured in Cap-d’Espoir, breaking the 23.3 degrees recorded in 2021. Cap-Chat also set a new record with 27.3 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 26.7 degrees set in 1935.

However, the passage of a cold front on the evening of August 13 brought more seasonal temperatures. The cold front was accompanied by thunderstorms, and lightning sparked three forest fires northwest of Gaspé that day.

Two of the fires occurred in the late afternoon in the Lac Ross and Sainte-Julienne colony areas, and the most recent one in Anse-à-Valleau in the early evening. The latter was still active on August 14.
“We had a few thunderstorms and lightning struck in some areas. SOPFEU teams will continue to monitor the area where lightning struck to ensure they can respond if other fires break out,” said SOPFEU spokesperson Isabelle Gariépy.

The other two fires have been contained or brought under control. In total, some 1.1 hectares were ravaged.

“We had a tanker plane working to contain the fires. Firefighters on the ground worked on some of these fires. Work with a helicopter was done on one of these fires,” added the spokesperson, who noted that the ground is very dry and suggested people not light fires in the forest.

The fire on August 12 was a recreational fire and is considered to be under control by SOPFEU. Its area is minimal.

It should be noted that before the rainfall on August 13, only five millimetres of rain had fallen in the Gaspé region since the beginning of August. On August 13, Gaspé issued a ban on open fires in the area until further notice. The flammability index dropped back down to low levels thanks to the rainfall and seasonal temperatures on August 14.

Several records

On August 12, four records were set. The hottest spot was Gaspé with 36.1 degrees, breaking the 32.2-degree mark set in 1940 and 1953. Carleton-sur-Mer followed closely behind with 36 degrees, beating the 31.7 degrees recorded in 2002. New Carlisle saw the mercury reach 35.5 degrees, crushing the 29.1 degrees recorded in 2002. Cap-d’Espoir recorded 28 degrees, breaking the 23.1 degrees mark set in 2002. Cap-Chat tied the record set in 1940 and 1944 with 26.1 degrees.

According to Environment Canada data, on August 11, the mercury climbed to 35.9 degrees in Carleton-sur-Mer, eclipsing the 32.8 degrees recorded in 1971. With the humidex index, it felt like 43 degrees. New Carlisle recorded 34.5 degrees—40 degrees with the humidex index—erasing the 31.1 degrees set in 1995. The mercury reached 28.7 degrees in Cap-d’Espoir, breaking the 26.2 degrees record set in 2005, with a humidex of 36 degrees. On August 10, Carleton-sur-Mer recorded 33.7 degrees and New Carlisle 32.5 degrees.

A heat wave – now referred to as an extreme heat event in meteorology – is defined as a period of at least three consecutive days during which the heat is particularly high and marked by a decrease in the temperature range between day and night.

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Percé: No more access to Anse du Nord

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / August 22, 2025 / #anse de nord, #erosion, #nelson sergerie, #Perce, #safety, #tourism

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Nelson Sergerie
PERCÉ – The staircase at the end of Biard Street in Percé, which allowed tourists to descend to Anse du Nord beach, is no longer accessible.

The infrastructure will not be rebuilt after falling victim to coastal erosion.
The town had to intervene every fall. “It wasn’t working anymore,” says the Mayor or Percé Daniel Leboeuf.

Resident Lise Bourget is asking the town to at least take action to make the area more welcoming.
“Last year, they decided not to replace it, but they could remove the remains of the facilities, I think. It’s really ugly for tourists who come to admire the Rock, and it seems very dangerous to me because people still go down there,” she explains.

The town is working on a new concept

“The plan is to install an observation platform. Tourists will still be able to see Anse du Nord. Given the erosion that is occurring, it is not feasible to rebuild a staircase in the short term,” explains the mayor.

There had been plans to install an aluminum structure for the descent that would have better withstood the onslaught of the sea.

“The slope is too eroded. We will not invest tens of thousands of dollars until it is safe,” saYS Mr. Leboeuf.

Such infrastructure could be reinstated if the Department of Public Safety intervenes to protect the area, as the town has been requesting for several years.

“We’ll see. Our request for protective work for the entire Anse du Nord is still pending with the Department of Public Safety. A project has been submitted. Studies are still being conducted. We hope that this part of the village will be protected,” says the mayor.

The request is being made under the disaster prevention program. The protection of Anse du Nord is an important issue: nearly 20 homes and businesses in this area are vulnerable. There is also the fire station and the town’s filtration plant at the end of the cove. If there were to be too much damage on this side, it would jeopardize the safety of the town.

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