Wildfire hinders Capstone's expansion plans at Minto

摘要

Capstone Mining (cs-t) was forced to suspend operations at its Minto copper-gold mine in the Yukon, when an out-of-control forest fire came within 6 km of the mine, but a back burn around the mine perimeter allowed operations to restart on June 14. Nevertheless, the shutdown put a damper on recent news of plans to incorporate underground mining to extend Minto's lifespan. The fire started on May 30 when high winds blew a dead tree into contact with the spur line that supplies power to the mine. The fire spread quickly because the Yukon has been experiencing hot, dry weather with strong winds. Within a day, the fire covered 3 sq. km; 3 days after it started it had grown to 20 sq. km.