A landfill fire in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, is nearings its fourth week, and residents living nearby say they are dealing with headaches, congestion and breathing problems from the smoke.
The fire started on July 4, 2026 and has been burning for more than three weeks. Fire Chief Mark Wyatt said the surface flames were put out on July 16, but the fire is still smouldering deep underground. The landfill is the size of a football field and at least 50 feet deep, filled with decades of packed waste. Wyatt said digging out the entire dump to reach the hot spots is almost impossible.
Fire crews have poured more than 400 truckloads of sand on the fire to smother it. Agnico Eagle Mine helped set up a pump in the ocean and a hose one kilometre long to supply water to the landfill. The fire department has 18 members, and 14 of them have been fighting this fire, which Deputy Mayor Danny Kowmuk said is the longest dump fire in the community’s history, beating a previous seven-day fire.
People in the Old Town neighbourhood, about a kilometre from the landfill, are feeling the effects. Violet Roxann Innukshuk said whenever the wind blows from the south, smoke drifts toward her home. Others have reported headaches, congestion and worsened asthma.
The Government of Nunavut’s Department of Health put out an air quality advisory on July 7, telling people to stay inside, avoid hard outdoor work and see a doctor if symptoms get bad. The advisory warns that smoke can irritate eyes, make it hard to breathe, and make heart and lung problems worse.
The fire is being treated as suspicious. Several people were seen near the landfill before it started, and an investigation is underway. The hamlet is looking at putting in cameras to help stop future fires. For now, crews keep working to control the smouldering as residents in Old Town wait for clear air.
