The City of Yellowknife is cautioning residents about making improper disposals of household hazardous waste in garbage bins after a fire broke out at the city's landfill.
The blaze was sparked on Tuesday, according to the city.
"City public works personnel, with support from the Yellowknife Fire Division, responded quickly and successfully extinguished the fire," the municipality stated in a Wednesday news release.
City spokesperson Saxon Chung told 快盈v3 on Wednesday that the fire started at approximately 8:45 a.m. and was put out around two hours later.
"The fire was classified as a medium-risk fire and required a coordinated response involving two Public Works staff members and two firefighters," he said.
No serious damage occurred as a result of the fire, he added, and there were no injuries as a result with the public works department confirming that there was no threat to the public.
"The situation was contained efficiently, and regular operations have since resumed," said Chung.
Damaged or compressed electronics can become flammable and may spark when waste is compacted in garbage trucks or at the landfill, according to the city.
"These sparks can lead to fires, which may spread quickly and result in air quality concerns for residents," the municipality stated. "We strongly remind all residents that electronics and other hazardous materials must be properly sorted, separated from household waste and disposed of through the appropriate channels."
Residents who are unsure of what is accepted at the landfill can contact the solid waste facility at (867) 669-3406. They can also check whether their electronic items are accepted at the Bottle Depot.
