FOG BLOG CANADA LOG: MORE THAN 160 WILDFIRES IN QUEBEC WITH 100 OF THEM OUT OF CONTROL!

Quebec fire authorities say they're unable to bring all fires under control Val d'Or and Normétal latest municipalities evacuated, forest access banned Quebec's fire authority says it's unable to bring all 153 fires burning in the province under control. It says it can only attack between 20 to 30 fires at a time until reinforcement arrives.

"We took charge of 35 fires today, compared to 21 yesterday. We chose specific fires to protect our critical infrastructures, but above all to protect our population," said Public Security Minister François Bonnardel at a news conference Sunday.

"All our resources are concentrated on these fires."

Armed forces and firefighters from outside the province started arriving Saturday to help local firefighters. About 100 soldiers are on the ground and 550 more firefighters are on the way.

On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Twitter that France will send 100 firefighters as reinforcements to help combat the fires burning throughout Quebec.

The backup should allow the provincial fire authority, the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), to change its strategy — which currently aims to protect cities and infrastructure — to go on the attack and put out the fires for good.

Forest access bans

Quebec's Forestry Ministry banned access to more forests and closed roads as of 8 a.m. Sunday as fires continue to burn across the province.

Access to forests in northern Quebec, Côte-Nord, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Mauricie, Outaouais, Lanaudière and the Laurentians are limited. A list of closed parks and forests is available on the government's website.