Thousands of residents have been evacuated from the Canada’s Northwest Territories amid dangerous circumstances caused by more than 200 fires, according to a government Facebook page.
Yellowknife, which is at the heart of the wildfires, is home to a number of employees from De Beers’ Gahcho Kué mine.
The Burgundy Diamonds-owned Ekati deposit and Rio Tinto’s Diavik site also have several Yellowknife-based workers.
“Over the past few days, De Beers has watched with deep concern the growing extent of the unprecedented wildfires in the Northwest Territories, which have led to the evacuation of eight communities,” De Beers noted.
The fires are approximately 135 kilometers from Ekati and about 200 kilometers from Gahcho Kué. Currently, they do not present a threat to operations, the owners explained.
All three companies are working to support the affected communities. Diavik Diamond Mine donated CAD 250,000 ($185,523) to the United Way Northwest Territories, while De Beers has contributed $50,000, rapaport.com reported.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
