Iqaluit's 'dumpcano' extinguished after burning for four months
#dumpcano from my vantage point pic.twitter.com/wTXeQHjEyD
— Kenny Bell (@Kenny_Bell_IQ) May 21, 2014Digital Reporter
Thursday, September 18, 2014, 5:19 PM - A garbage dump fire in Iqaluit -- dubbed the 'dumpcano' by residents and media -- has been extinguished after burning for four months.
Health officials began issuing health advisories about the fire on May 20 after a fire broke out on a massive pile of trash.
Two schools were forced to close in June when thick, toxic smoke seeped into residential areas.
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At one point, the temperature of the fire soared to 500 degrees Celsius.
Initially, officials decided to let the fire burn itself out -- but when that didn't happen, firefighters were forced to step in.
Glad to hear the #dumpcano in Iqaluit was finally extinguished on Tuesday. Burning trash since may.
— lake rider (@pablostar37) September 17, 2014
The fire was officially declared dead on Tuesday, about two weeks after officials began dousing the flames.
Mike Noblett of Global Forensics, the company managing the site, has confirmed there is no longer any smoldering garbage in the area.
According to the CBC, his team will have to keep an eye on the temperature of all garbage piles at the dump for the next six months to ensure another fire doesn't spark.
"If you're taking stuff to the dump, make sure that you tell people what you do have," Noblett told the news agency.
"That part is really important, because they do have to make sure that they get some of that stuff out and away from the dump, so we're not putting the wrong stuff in the dump."
Workers at the dump are being provided with more training on how to better dispose of flammable material.
