Iqaluit dump fire extinguished

Iqaluit mayor John Graham says crews have extinguished a fire at the city’s dump.

Around 10:30 a.m. ET Friday morning, municipal enforcement officers saw the smoke and alerted the fire department.

“When they arrived on the scene there was an area of about 150 square metres of burning debris,” said Graham. “By virtue of the fact that it was located close to the main entrance, it was easily accessible to the fire crews.”

Graham said it took fire crews about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.

There were three municipal water trucks at the scene.

Once the fire was out, landfill employees used bulldozers to assist the fire department.

Graham said they will maintain a fire watch on site for 12 hours to make sure it does not flare up again.

He said the cause of the fire is unknown.

A previous fire at the Iqaluit dump in the fall of 2010 burned for 36 days.