Yellowknife’s battle against landfill fire enters fourth month

The source of smoke and an odd smell as residents pass by Yellowknife’s dump is a months-long landfill fire, City Hall said on Wednesday.

Last month, the city called the problem a “subsurface hotspot” that was being dealt with in a section of the site devoted to construction and demolition waste.

The city upgraded that terminology in an update on Wednesday, saying staff had been “actively managing a subsurface landfill fire” since October.

Monitoring is taking place as efforts to fight the fire continue, the city said, adding that the dump could close at short notice but ordinarily remains open for the usual public access.

“Such fires are not unusual in landfill environments, particularly during dry conditions or when there is an accumulation of organic waste,” the city stated in a news release.

The city said it had excavated the “burn zone” of the fire, applied water, and was working with contractors and environmental inspectors.

“The area involved is not known to have hazardous materials and has been identified as having construction materials,” the news release continued.

“The city is advancing air quality monitoring through engagement with regulatory partners. Surface water runoff from firefighting efforts is being carefully monitored through regular assessments by landfill personnel and environmental staff.”

Landfill fires have caused significant problems in NWT communities in the not too distant past.

A landfill fire in Hay River triggered a local state of emergency in 2019 and ultimately cost the town more than $1 million. The town subsequently shredded tens of thousands of old tires at the landfill to bring down the risk of a future fire.

Yellowknife has previously reported fires related to lithium-ion batteries at its landfill in recent years. In another incident, hot ashes were blamed when waste was pictured on fire within a garbage truck.