Iqaluit fire department goes in for the kill

An excavator from the department of public works digs at part of the Iqaluit dump fire on Oct. 1, exposing hot embers to sprays of water from the fire engine. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)

After concluding that the Iqaluit dump fire can’t be put out, Iqaluit firefighters may now attempt to extinguish the fire, rather than just contain it.

Since Oct. 1, Iqaluit firefighters have gone on the offensive, and have managed to extinguish portions of the fire, which started Sept. 24.

“Every bit we put out is less smoke being produced,” said Iqaluit Fire Chief Walter Oliver.

Oliver said on Oct. 5 that there was less smoke coming off the dump than the week before.

He explained that their firefighting efforts have been limited by the wind-speed window during which firefighting is effective.

Wind speeds below 10 km/h create unpredictable smoke eddies, making the environment more dangerous, he said.

And wind speeds greater than 30 km/h scatters the streams of water jetting from from the hose, limiting its penetration.

“At the current rate, if we get favourable [wind] conditions, we can get quite a bit done in the course of a day,” he said.

The high winds of Oct. 5 revived a smouldering burn, but also consumed more garbage and reduced the fire’s available fuel.

During high winds, the fire department’s biggest priority remains hosing down the larger unburnt pile, which lies downwind of the fire and is vulnerable to windblown embers.

But Oliver said that even if the fire is to reduced to nothing but small patches of smouldering embers, the big pile of household refuse at the dump will always be at risk of re-igniting.