CANADA VIBES NEWSROOM · ÉDITION DU SOIR | EVENING EDITION
July 19, 2026 · Evening Edition, Eastern Time

Persistent heat and drought are keeping wildfire activity exceptionally high in Nord-du-Québec, Côte-Nord and Abitibi-Témiscamingue, where open-air burning bans remain in effect in several regional counties.

According to Quebec’s forest fire protection agency, SOPFEU, nearly 200 fires remained active this week in the Nord-du-Québec and Côte-Nord administrative regions, where activity remains exceptionally sustained due to ongoing heat and drought.

Several new fires were also declared on July 15 in western Outaouais, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and in parts of Jamésie. A ban on open-air burning in or near forested areas remains in place in several regional county municipalities in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, including Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Ouest, Abitibi and La Vallée-de-l’Or.

The provincial tally illustrates the scale of this fire season: the total area burned in Quebec grew from 9,300 hectares at the end of June to more than 530,000 hectares by July 11, according to data compiled by authorities.

Smoke from these fires continues to affect air quality well beyond the regions directly involved, reaching southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area, where yellow-level air quality warnings have been issued.

Nationally, nearly 850 wildfires were active as of mid-July, with more than 180 burning in Ontario alone, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.

What to watch

• Whether open-air burning bans expand or ease in affected counties.
• Rain forecasts that could bring relief to SOPFEU crews.
• Air quality advisories for Quebec and Ontario in the coming days.

Sources

• SOPFEU
• The Weather Network
• CNN
• Government of Quebec