sopfeu

Fire ban issued across Hills

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / October 8, 2025 / Fire ban, Fire risk, Gatineau hills, La Pêche, Masham, MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, sopfeu, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Don’t toss your cigarette butt out your car window.

Don’t light that pile of leaves your kids have raked up in the backyard. And don’t, under any circumstances, have an open fire any time in the next week – maybe beyond.

These things may seem innocuous but they have already caused at least two fires in La Pêche over the past week, according to firefighter and prevention technician Sébastien Lalonde. The province’s wildfire prevention agency SOPFEU has ordered a complete fire ban across the Gatineau Hills at the beginning of October.

“I would be really, really aware of what I’m doing outside, even if it’s a cigarette, even if it’s a barbecue…” said Lalonde. “At the moment, it’s really dry. We had one little brush fire this weekend and according to the owner of the property it was caused by a cigarette.”

Lalonde said another resident was having a controlled fire in a barrel in Masham Oct. 2 when some embers floated towards a nearby garage and lit it up. The garage was a total loss, however no injuries were reported.

“So yes, it is really dangerous at this point because it’s really dry,” said Lalonde, referencing a lack of rain over the last month. “So even a cigarette can be a really big hazard at the moment. So it’s really important that people understand that situation. Because even when you drive on the highway and you throw your cigarette through the window, well, that may cause a fire, and we see many, many fires along the main road like that.”

According to SOPFEU, there are two current fires burning in the Gatineau Hills (L’Ange-Gardien and Mayo) and nine across the Outaouais. The fire prevention organization has had a complete ban on open fires since the first week of October.

While there are no wildfires active in Low or Kazabazua, open fires are also banned in the entire MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau region.

For more information or for tips on fire safety, visit sopfeu.qc.ca/.

Fire ban issued across Hills Read More »

Over 50 hectares ravaged by brush fire

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / June 11, 2025 / forest fire, nelson sergerie, pointe a la croix, sopfeu

Nelson Sergerie, LJI

POINTE-À-LA-CROIX – A brush fire of an intensity not seen in over 20 years ravaged 50.3 hectares in Pointe-à-la-Croix on May 14.

The Société de Protection des Forêts contre le Feu (SOPFEU) declared the fire under control the following morning, and authorities susThe alert was given mid-afternoon on May 14. Pointe-à-la-Croix firefighters called SOPFEU for assistance because the blaze was near residences and, fueled by the hot and windy weather, the fire was heading toward the forest.

At the peak of the effort to contain the fire, dozens of firefighters were deployed, supported by a helicopter, and two water bombers. “This is something we have to deal with every year. It’s becoming a concern. The fire moved closer to the residences,” noted Mayor Pascal Bujold.

Several small fires have been started in Pointe-à-la-Croix in past years. “It’s definitely criminal. It’s always individuals who start fires. We denounce it. We’ve never been able to catch the people, but this time, we hope it will be different,” says the mayor.

This is the largest fire to occur in the Gaspé Peninsula in over 20 years. The last fire of this magnitude was in 2004, when 59 hectares burnt in the Rocher-Percé MRC. Overall, the largest fire to occur in the Gaspé Peninsula was in 1995, when 23,105 hectares burned following a forestry operation, an area equivalent to half the size of the island of Montreal.

In the last ten years, the average area burned annually in the Gaspé Peninsula has been around 16 hectares.

Over 50 hectares ravaged by brush fire Read More »