Evacuation ordered due to forest fire burning near Cigar Lake mine

Cameco has ordered the evacuation of all non-essential personnel from the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan.

A press release from the company issued Thursday morning said the action is being taken as a precaution. It’s due to the proximity of a northern wildfire, currently burning in the vicinity of the operation.

“The situation is complicated by extremely warm, dry weather, resulting from the heat dome that has settled over western Canada in recent days, along with variable wind and smoke conditions,” the release said.

Production at Cigar Lake has been temporarily suspended. Approximately 230 workers are being transported off-site. Roughly 80 essential personnel will remain on-site to maintain the facility in a safe state.

Cameco said if the wildfire threat grows considerably, a plan is in place to ensure their safety.

“A number of precautions have been implemented at Cigar Lake to limit the risk posed by the wildfire. Cameco is working closely with provincial wildfire management personnel from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, who are on-site assessing the situation on an ongoing basis. The decision to evacuate the operation was made in conjunction with these officials,” the release continued.

As of July 1, the province’s current wildfire activity map showed 18 active wildfires and 200 fires to date for 2021 – which passes the five-year average of 192.

Story by paNOW newsroom