Update (07/06/21): On July 4, Cameco returned its regular workforce to the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan and planned to restart production later this week after employees were evacuated due to a wildlfire in the area.
About 230 workers were evacuated from the site on July 1 as a precaution due to the proximity of a wildfire burning in the vicinity of the operation. In consultation with provincial wildfire management officials from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, the company said the risk to Cigar Lake posed by the fire has now subsided.
With improved weather and smoke conditions, minimal likelihood of further road closures in the area, and all infrastructure at Cigar Lake remaining intact, Cameco believes the full complement of personnel can be safely remobilized and regular operations resumed.
Cameco is now in the process of transporting employees and contractors back to site. Final inspections and preparation of equipment will occur over the days ahead to ready the operation for a return to production.
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Cameco has evacuated all non-essential personnel from the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan due to a wildfire that is 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.
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. Should the wildfire threat grow considerably at the site, 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.
