A maximum security prison in Quebec was evacuated Canadadue to the fires that are ravaging the region.
Around 225 prisoners were removed.
The Port Cartier prison evacuation order was issued on Friday and inmates were safely transferred to other penitentiaries, the CSC said without elaborating on the operation.
The regional forest fire protection service (SOPFEU) said lightning was responsible for seven fires that broke out north of Port Cartier, two of which were out of control on Friday.
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The Correctional Service of Canada emphasizes that it is monitoring the situation and will consider when it will be feasible to reopen the maximum security prison so that inmates can return.
SOS for air quality
Canadian authorities have issued a special air quality alert in the area, warning of the health risks posed by smoke from the fires. As of Sunday afternoon, the federal agency said the smoke was no longer causing poor air quality.
In 2023, Canada saw a record number of wildfires that caused choking smoke in areas of the US and forced more than 235,000 Canadians to evacuate their communities.
With information from ABC, Reuters, APE-MPE