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More than 200 wildfires are triggering safety operations and forcing on-and-off road closures in several Cree communities in northern Quebec. Two fires are out of control. The Cree public safety department and the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) are working to put out several forest fires caused by lightning last month. “I feel like the communities are more prepared. It’s a bit calmer, the wildfires near the communities,” said Tracy Iserhoff, the regional public safety officer for the Cree Nation Government. Iserhoff thinks back of the 2023 forest fires, when Cree safety officers and SOPFEU also collaborated. Key priorities for emergency crews include ensuring public safety and securing vital infrastructure like highways, cell towers, and Hydro-Québec networks, Iserhoff said.