A delegation from the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU) will fly to Alberta on Monday to lend a hand to its colleagues who are fighting several forest fires.

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A total of 60 forest firefighters will leave Quebec on Monday, from Quebec City and Val-d'Or airports, for a two-week mission.

They will be accompanied by two agency representatives, two meteorologists, two strike team leaders, a helicopter operations coordinator, a fire behavior specialist and a logistics section manager.

Under the Canadian Agreement on Mutual Aid in the Event of Forest Fires, Quebec provides assistance to signatory provinces and territories.

Since the beginning of the protection season in Quebec, 298 fires have been fought in the intensive protection zone.

On average, 359 fires are started each year, affecting 18,715.5 hectares of forest in Quebec, according to SOPFEU.