Two wildfires burning in Quebec, water bombers sent to Ontario and Saskatchewan

The fire danger index has been raised in some areas of Quebec as two wildfires are burning. (SOPFEU)

Quebec’s forest fire protection agency (SOPFEU) is reporting two active wildfires in the province, as conditions become favourable to wildfires with the snow melting.

On Saturday, SOPFEU raised the fire danger rating for western Quebec, and also noted that a five-hectare fire started burning on Saturday in the Antoine-Labelle region of the Laurentians.

Under cause of fire, the agency noted “residents.”

Another one-hectare fire in the Abitibi region was also reported as having started on Sunday.

Both fires were listed as “under control.”

“In spring, as soon as the weather starts to improve, vigilance is key,” SOPEFEU said in a news release. “Dead vegetation (such as dry grass, dead leaves, etc.) tends to dry out very quickly with just a bit of sunshine and wind. These materials then become highly flammable.”

With wildfire season officially underway, SOPFEU teams and local fire departments are preparing to be busier.

SOPFEU has reported 59 wildfires in 2025, which is 44 fewer than the 10-year average.

The following regions have had their fire danger index raised.

• Estrie
• Montérégie
• Centre-du-Québec
• Montreal
• Laval
• Outaouais
• Laurentians
• Lanaudière
• Chaudière-Appalaches

In addition, parts of the following regions are under a raised danger index:

• Mauricie
• Capitale-Nationale
• Bas-Saint-Laurent
• Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
• Abitibi–Témiscamingue
• Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Côte-Nord

“The rest of Quebec is still experiencing winter conditions, with substantial snow cover remaining in forested areas. In these northern regions, the wildfire risk is currently non-existent,” SOPEFEU added.

Water bombers to Ontario and Saskatchewan

SOPFEU and the Quebec government sent to CL-415s water bombers to Ontario and two others to Saskatchewan to assist provincial forest firefighting crews battle several forest and brush fires.

The bombers will head to Dryden, ON and Meadow Lake, SK.

“The situation prevailing in Quebec and the operational capabilities of SOPFEU allow it to lend resources to its partners in other provinces without harming its capacity to intervene in Quebec,” the agency said in a news release.

In Ontario, there were six active fires burning across the province shortly before noon Sunday, including one in Haliburton, located about 170 km north of Oshawa, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ interactive map.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Public Safety map showed there were 18 active wildfires burning Sunday, for a total of 142 fires since the season began on April 1.

Since the season began, the Quebec agency has responded to 59 fires in the province which have ravaged 38.7 hectares of forest. On Saturday, the agency asked people living in the western part of the province to be aware that the fire index level is high to very high in the region.

It is the first time Quebec has sent water bombers to assist in fires since two were sent to California in January to assist in the massive L.A. wildfires.

With files from the Canadian Press.