Massive Wildfires in Quebec Disrupt Indigenous Communities and Cause Widespread Destruction
Northern Quebec has been ravaged by fierce wildfires in recent weeks, resulting in the destruction of large areas of spruce forest, cabins, and tourist camps. The wildfires have also led to the isolation of Indigenous communities, as the region’s only paved road, the Billy Diamond Highway, has been cut off due to the fires and has little to no cell reception.
Residents attempting to evacuate along the highway before evacuation orders were issued encountered flames and thick smoke, creating a dangerous and traumatic experience. Joshua Iserhoff, a member of the Cree nation of Nemaska, recalled how the wind was so strong that it almost lifted their vehicle off the ground.
Since May, over 47,000 square miles of forest, an area the size of New York State, have been burned by hundreds of wildfires across Canada. These fires have displaced more than 25,000 Indigenous residents from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, with Indigenous communities suffering a particularly devastating impact due to their proximity to the fires and dependence on forests for food and shelter.
The Canadian government has allocated $55 million so far to support communities affected by wildfires. However, the frequency and intensity of these wildfires are directly linked to climate change, and they continue to set records for the amount of land burned in Canada.
As of now, over 1,000 fires are burning across Canada, with more than 600 of them out of control. Evacuations from Indigenous communities, ordered by both community leaders and government officials, have lasted for weeks, with families being separated and forced to seek shelter in hotels and gyms.
In July, eight out of the nine Cree communities in Quebec, with a combined population of around 21,000, were under total or partial evacuation orders. Some residents were airlifted by commercial airliners or Canadian Royal Air Force helicopters, while others had to travel hundreds of miles on buses along gravel roads.
The wildfires have not caused any fatalities among Indigenous communities, but they have resulted in immeasurable damage to the forest ecology and cultural heritage. Indigenous communities in Canada’s northern regions have been particularly affected, as government policy allows wildfires to burn unless they directly threaten towns or infrastructure.
One fire near the Quebec town of Radisson, which started on June 1 during a lightning storm, is still burning and is now over two and a half times larger than California’s largest recorded wildfire.
The smoke from these fires has led to hazardous levels of pollution across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Kurtis Black, the fire chief in Nemaska, expressed concerns that the fires will continue until everything is burned or until fall arrives and extinguishes them with snow.
Indigenous community leaders, such as Mandy Gull-Masty, the first woman elected grand chief of the Cree Nation in Quebec, have criticized the Quebec government’s policy of letting wildfires burn in the province’s northern section. This year’s fires have caused significant damage to Cree traplines, which are essential for hunting and trapping during fall and winter.
The Quebec Wildfire Agency defended its policy, citing limited resources across the vast boreal landscape. However, Indigenous communities argue that their territory is their infrastructure, and the current approach undermines their way of life.
While rain temporarily contained the fires and dissipated the smoke near Nemaska on July 20, the fires resurged three days later, forcing another evacuation and leaving Indigenous communities in a state of constant displacement.
Diane Amy Tanoush, an Indigenous resident, recorded a video as she and others loaded their belongings onto boats, wearing N95 masks for protection from the smoke. She expressed the exhaustion and frustration of evacuating for the fifth time.
These devastating wildfires highlight the urgent need for action on climate change and the protection of Indigenous communities and their territories. Without intervention, the cycle of destruction and displacement caused by wildfires is likely to continue.