Whitehorse waste facility fire has flared up significantly, says city
City officials say the fire that started Wednesday night at the Whitehorse waste management facility flared up early Saturday morning.
Myles Dolphin, the city's acting manager of communications, said the fire "flared-up significantly" around 6 a.m.
CBC News saw a helicopter make several trips to dump water over the site this morning and fire tankers also made repeated trips after refilling with water.
It began burning Wednesday at 10:22 p.m. at the facility, in construction and demolition pile waste, and was under control by 7 a.m. Thursday, according to Dolphin.
While the surface fire was extinguished, it kept burning beneath the surface.
The waste management facility is located by Fish Lake Road and the Alaska Highway.
As smoke emanating from the burning waste may be hazardous, the city is cautioning residents in nearby subdivisions to minimize exposure by closing their windows and avoiding outside activities in the area.
It also says to take caution on the Alaska Highway as emergency vehicles are frequenting the area as suppression efforts by the city and Protective Services continue.
