Rankin Inlet Fire Department investigates ‘suspicious’ dump fire
Fire chief says several people were seen near landfill before blaze broke out
A fire burns at the Rankin Inlet landfill in this photo taken late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Fire Chief Mark Wyatt says several people were seen near the landfill before the fire began and that the incident is being investigated. (Photo by Mark Wyatt)
Firefighters in Rankin Inlet are trying to contain a dump fire the fire chief called “suspicious” and said could smoulder for weeks.
The blaze at the community landfill was first reported on Saturday around 7 p.m., fire Chief Mark Wyatt said. Firefighters and the hamlet’s public works staff used dirt to smother the flames and worked until about midnight.
“We thought we had the fire out. It was completely smothered and extinguished,” Wyatt said in an interview Monday.
But on Sunday around 1 p.m., the landfill began to smoke again, prompting crews to return.
“As much as we tried, we couldn’t contain it,” Wyatt said, adding that strong winds allowed the fire to spread.
His staff worked until about 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
About 40 truckloads of fill were initially brought in to help smother the fire — a standard technique that cuts off oxygen. Another 100 loads were scheduled to be delivered Monday.
As of Monday, the fire had spread across the entire landfill.
“It burned all the way to the edges,” Wyatt said. “I don’t think it’s burned all the way through because in some places it’s probably 30 or 40 feet deep.”
The landfill has been in use for at least 50 years, he said, and it contains decades of compacted waste because nearly everything generated in the community ends up there.
“There could be anything from propane tanks to oil drums to ammunition,” he said, adding that such materials create additional hazards for firefighters.
“Aerosol cans will explode when they’re heated up as well,” he said. “You get a lot of things popping when you get a dump fire.”
The Rankin Inlet Fire Department has 18 members, 14 of whom responded on both days of the fire, Wyatt said.
“I’ve got a great crew. We train every week. They were just nonstop and kept going for as long as we could,” he said.
Wyatt also credited the hamlet’s public works staff and local contractor Inukshuk Construction for supplying loaders, dump trucks and a water truck.
“It’s going to be an expensive bill, but hopefully we’ll get this thing out,” he said.
Smoke drifted over the community Saturday evening when winds were blowing toward town, but changing winds reduced the impact on residents Sunday, Wyatt said.
“There’s no real risk now in terms of the smoke,” he said. “Although smoke from a dump fire is always kind of toxic and very smelly and not something that you want to be breathing in.”
In a Facebook update Sunday, Wyatt said his department is investigating both the original fire and its re-emergence. The RCMP is not investigating the fire and told Nunatsiaq News to direct all questions to the Rankin Inlet Fire Department.
Wyatt said that several people had been seen near the landfill before the fire started.
“When these things start up that quickly, there’s usually someone involved, but that’s about all I can tell you right now,” he said.
Wyatt said the landfill would remain closed until it is safe to reopen to the public.
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