Crews still working to extinguish Rankin Inlet dump fire 10 days on

Crews have dumped approximately 400 truck loads of sand onto the fire and Agnico Eagle is now helping the hamlet to rig a pump at the ocean and a hose long enough to stretch one kilometre to the landfill.

Crews still working to extinguish Rankin Inlet dump fire 10 days on The fire is the hamlet’s longest-running dump fire, deputy mayor says A fire that started at Rankin Inlet’s landfill last week is still smouldering, enlisting help from a construction company and a mine in addition to the hamlet’s fire department. The fire broke out on July 4 and crews had it nearly put out when a second fire broke out early Sunday morning. Since then, Inukshuk Construction and Agnico Eagle Mine have extended equipment and manpower.

With no utilidor to pipe water to the dump, Rankin Inlet’s deputy mayor Danny Kowmuk said crews have dumped around 400 truck loads of sand to smother it. “There's a lot of people that are working constantly, almost like 24/7,” Kowmuk said. He said it’s Rankin Inlet’s longest dump fire, surpassing the previous record holding seven-day fire that happened years ago.

Agnico Eagle is now helping the hamlet to rig a pump at the ocean and a hose long enough to stretch one kilometre to the landfill. Fire chief Mark Wyatt said the fire has been smouldering under the sand and he hopes that with the water flow it can be extinguished soon. He said he feels for residents who are managing smoky air, especially during a hot summer when people want to be outside and open their windows.

Though, most days he says the wind has blown the smoke away from Rankin Inlet. Kowmuk said the hamlet is considering new equipment like cameras in hopes that might prevent future fires at the landfill. RCMP are investigating the fire and said it is too early to know whether any criminality is involved.

With files from Selma Eccles and Mah Noor Mubarik