The tanker planes continued to take turns without stopping on Thursday, in the hope of slowing the progression of the forest fire which threatens Normetal.
A major fire team from New- Brunswick landed in Abitibi-Ouest on Thursday evening to help SOPFEU in this tireless battle against the forest fire that threatens the village of Normetal.
After spending the night in La Sarre, this team of forest fire specialists will travel to Normetal on Friday morning to analyze the situation. She will then direct ground operations for the next few days, while firefighters from the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) will continue to fight this blaze.
During the day of Thursday, the teams in place, in particular with the help of 10 tanker planes which took turns constantly for watering, managed to slow down the advance of the fire, which was therefore still about 500 meters from the village of Normetal at the time of this writing, in the evening.
The fire was still out of control, uncontrolled, but considered less active than the day before. Firebreaks have been made on the ground and we have good confidence that the fire will not reach Normétal, mentioned Sylvain Tremblay, of SOPFEU.
In Lebel-sur-Quévillon, the two forest fires have merged into one, but there is no fear for the town evacuated since last Friday evening. Trenches have also been widened to protect the Nordic Kraft factory, which contains highly flammable chemicals.
The two forest fires in the Lebel-sur-Quévillon sector have merged into one.
In addition to the New Brunswick team, about 40 soldiers were expected in Abitibi-Témiscamingue on Thursday evening to come and fight the forest fires.
The director of public security at the City of Rouyn-Noranda, Luc Tremblay, assured that everything was ready to receive the members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
We are preparing the ground to be able to welcome interveners so that they can be able to lend a hand, in particular those of Armed forces. Logistics are slowly settling in, he reported.
– With information from Jean-Marc Belzile and Lise Millette
