Quebec wildfire coverage quadruples as smoke pushes south
The province has seen a dramatic increase in wildfire activity over the past two weeks
A dynamic setup over Quebec has allowed the province’s wildfire count to increase by more than 300 per cent over the past week and a half.
The total area burned across Quebec increased nearly 34-fold in just nine days.
Smoke from these blazes could cause health issues and even affect the weather across southern portions of the province in the week ahead.
Keep up with all the latest information at The Weather Network’s wildfire hub.
Statistics rapidly getting worse
Favourable conditions have allowed a rapid increase in the number, intensity, and coverage of wildfires across Quebec since the end of June.
The number of active fires across Quebec jumped from 43 to 199 between June 25 and July 3.
As a result, the total land area burned by blazes increased from 9,300 on June 25 to a whopping 315,000 hectares by July 4.
Most of this fire growth occurred in northern Quebec, where we’ve seen nine times as many active fires burning this year compared to the 2016-2025 average.
By contrast, the province’s southern zone has recorded fewer fires and a lower area burned compared to normal over the same ten-year period.
An extreme fire danger will exist across northwestern Quebec for at least the next couple of days.
Smoke may pose a problem for southern Quebec
Wildfire smoke can pose significant issues for communities many hundreds of kilometres away from active blazes.
Any smoke that drifts toward southern Quebec and mixes down to the surface could cause health problems among those sensitive to fine particulates, including folks with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses.
Smoke can also affect the weather by reducing sunshine, which can both lower daytime temperatures and reduce the risk of thunderstorms by stabilizing the atmosphere.