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IGLULIK
Discarded wooden construction material caught fire in Iglulik's dump shortly after midnight on Aug. 4, said the community's fire chief.

Discarded wooden construction material caught fire in Iglulik's dump shortly after midnight on Aug. 4, leaving one firefighter slightly injured. Gravel was eventually needed to put out the flames the following day. - photo courtesy of Patrick Thompson

Jesse Oolateeta said loaders dumping gravel on the blaze eventually put it out the following day after 10 firefighters fought the blaze for six hours.

The community's firefighters received the call at 1 a.m. on Aug. 4.

"Before we even got on top of the hill, we could see the flames over the hill," said Ooateeta. "I'd say (it was) about 50 feet wide and about 200 feet long area and around eight to 10 feet deep of lumber that was burning. Four hose lines were going at it for about four hours and we barely made a dent at the flames so it was very difficult to put out without the help of the loaders and the dozers putting gravel on it."

They let the lumber get consumed by the flames for a while so the fire could get smaller, he added.

Oolateeta said the fire is being smothered and still burning underground but there is no smoke.

One firefighter was slightly injured, he said. There were no toxic fumes as it was mostly wood on fire, but the smoke blew into Iglulik at times, he added. No structures were endangered.

A similar fire occurred in 2007, said Oolateeta.

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