Wildfire burns near McArthur River mine as province hit by thousands of lightning strikes
Lightning, coupled with very dry conditions, has produced nineteen new wildfires in the province. One of those strikes sparked a significant blaze near the McArthur River uranium mine site.
The ministry of environment said one of 15,000 lightning strikes over a 24-hour period caused the 6,000 hectare fire that is now within a few kilometres of the currently-dormant mine.
Steve Roberts, with Wildfire Management, said the facility was well-prepared for the potential of a wildfire and crews were working alongside mine personnel to protect important infrastructure.
“They have their own emergency services crew and heavy equipment on site, and we do pre-planning with them early in the spring,” Roberts told reporters Friday. “They know what’s going on.”