Cameco evacuated all non-essential personnel from the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan today as an uncontrolled wildfire continues to burn nearby.

Company spokesperson Jeff Hryhoriw said Cameco activated its emergency response team and all of roughly 230 non-essential personnel have been evacuated.

“The evacuation has gone very smoothly thus far,” Hryhoriw said at around twenty minutes after 4 p.m. on Thursday. Two workers confirmed to the Prince Albert Daily Herald that they were booked to evacuate the mine by plane at 3 p.m.

“They are being flown from there out to communities well away from the area… a plan has been developed to keep the roughly 80 personnel remaining at Cigar Lake safe should the threat to the site grow considerably.”

Hryhoriw said those safety measures were developed with Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency wildfire management personnel — who are on site evaluating the situation as it unfolds.

“These officials have assessed various locations and facilities on site and advised us accordingly. They believe workers can be kept safe given the design and construction of the buildings, site layout and protective measures already being taken,” Hryhoriw said.

“Water bombers have spread fire retardant between the fire and the Cigar Lake site. Aircraft are likewise actively dumping water on the fire, aided by a firefighting crew working on the ground.”

Site grounds are being continuously watered and workers are clearing brush around the facilities. Fire retardant lines have been laid on water lines and fuel storage areas.

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.

Data from NASA in the United States and Canada shows the fire fully engulfing the region around the mine site after moving northeast from Sawatzky Lake yesterday.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission said it is monitoring the situation.

Candyce Paul of the English River First Nation at Lac La Plonge heads the “committee for future generations” group that is generally opposed to nuclear development in the region. She said communities in the northwest are keeping an eye on the fires in case wind patterns change.

Paul said currently most at risk from smoke and debris coming from Cigar Lake are communities nearby or downwind of the Briggs fire near Cigar Lake mine.

If the fire does get into the uranium mine site, which so far it hasn’t, the environmental and health risks to residents of the region would increase — because of hazardous materials that could potentially catch fire, she said.

“So far the wind has been from the south. It would be a concern for anyone living north or east around that area closer to where the mine is,” Paul said.

“If there’s any smoke getting into those communities — especially with the COVID patients and the communities already having difficulties that could be an issue.”

Hryhoriw acknowledged the fire is visible from the mine site. He was unable to say if there is a risk of the fire spreading to Camaco facilities.

The company also can’t predict when the fire will be under control, or when the mine will be able to restart operations safely.

According to the province there are five uncontained fires out of 19 that are currently active in Saskatchewan.