Forest fires in British Columbia are threatening the homes of many employees of Mount Polley who live in the Williams Lake area, and impacting operations at the mine site, located 56 km northeast of Williams Lake.
“Many of the roads used to access the mine site are currently closed,” said Imperial Metals. “Employees who have been able to report for work have been reassigned to maintain mill operations at the expense of mining operations, which have significantly reduced. Should critical supplies such as fuel not be available due to road closures, the mine may be forced to suspend operations.”
Many Red Chris employees also live in the Williams Lake area, and have been evacuated from their homes or are on evacuation alert.
With the temporary closure of the Williams Lake airport, Red Chris charter flights from Williams Lake to Dease Lake have been canceled.
“We are reorganizing our crews and adjusting charter flights into Dease Lake to maintain staffing levels at the Red Chris mine,” stated Imperial Metals.