A total of $2 million could come out of city reserves to deal with the fire that has been burning at the landfill since last Wednesday.

At Monday evening’s council meeting, members approved the first two readings of a bylaw for the spending.

A special council meeting was scheduled for late this afternoon to vote on third reading in order to expedite the process.

Under city procedures, council cannot vote on all three readings of a bylaw during the same meeting.

As Peter O’Blenes, the city’s director of infrastructure and operations, told council in a report last night: “The fire constitutes a bona-fide emergency because of risk to public health, city property and the environment.

“For that reason, emergency funding for initial expenses has been approved by the city manager (Linda Rapp) pursuant to the city’s purchasing and sales policy.

“There are significant unforeseen expenses related to ongoing management of this fire that were not provided for in the 2018-2021 capital budget.”

Whitehorse firefighters first responded to the blaze when it was noticed at 10:22 p.m. last Wednesday in the construction and demolition waste area of the landfill. Much of the debris is from the old F.H. Collins Secondary School, which was demolished in 2017.

The fire had been contained, but flared up again early Saturday morning, with smoke evident in parts of the city.

Along with city firefighters, volunteers from numerous departments outside of Whitehorse assisted in the response. They were joined by staff with the Yukon government’s fire marshall’s office and Emergency Measures Organization. Local contractors have assisted with heavy equipment and such.

The city is also working with a consultant from B.C. on the fire.

Warnings were issued last weekend asking locals not to visit the landfill. They were also asked to stay inside in areas where there was smoke, and to allow fire trucks through the area of Kopper King and on Centennial Street in Porter Creek, where water was available and being pumped into trucks.

As of Monday, the fire was contained below the surface, with additional soil being added and officials monitoring the situation. Carbon monoxide levels coming from the ground are being tracked.

The fire may burn out beneath the surface over a number of weeks, in which case it would cost less than if oxygen gets in and it flares up again.

O’Blenes also told reporters last night that water could be used in bore holes to quicken suppression efforts beneath the surface. Those decisions, though, will depend on what happens in the coming days and weeks.

Before voting on the first two readings last night, Coun. Dan Boyd questioned the expense.

While he understands the city is in a bit of a “holding pattern” with the fire right now, he still wanted a more detailed breakdown of the costs.

O’Blenes replied by noting that the estimate is “just that,” an estimate without the full costs known.

He said it’s believed the fire has cost the city about $100,000 per day so far.

It’s anticipated it will reach $1 million even if the fire is able to burn out below the surface without needing more suppression efforts.

The costs will drop as time goes on, but there will be ongoing monitoring needed for some time. The city also has spotters keeping an eye on things now.

The $2-million expense was proposed to be approved in case more efforts – which could include digging further into the area – are required outside of the ongoing monitoring.

Questioned by Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu, Rapp confirmed the spending will come from city reserves, noting this situation shows why it’s good to set aside money in reserves.

Rapp also told council that “at this point,” it’s not anticipated to have an impact on property tax rates.

However, she acknowledged that it’s still “early days,” and the city will have more clarity on the situation before it begins looking at taxes for 2019. (Property owners have until 5 p.m. July 3 to pay their 2018 tax bills.)

Boyd also expressed concerns over the tire pile that accumulates at the landfill before they’re shipped Outside.

While the tires aren’t near the blaze, Boyd suggested it would be prudent to consider the issue of the tires.

He pointed out it’s the Yukon government that is responsible for the tires and having them shipped out. The landfill was the site of a significant, stubborn tire fire approximately 25 years ago.

Coun. Rob Fendrick and Mayor Dan Curtis highlighted the work of all those involved in dealing with the current blaze.

As Fendrick pointed out, it had the potential to escalate into something more serious, but didn’t.

Curtis said it was “all hands on deck,” with help from the territory and other fire departments in addition to the city’s staff.

Looking ahead, O’Blenes said the city will be studying the best practices of other regions to see if any improvements can be made.

Asked if that may include extending water services to the landfill, he said that may be part of the review.

Coun. Samson Hartland was absent from last night’s meeting.