Evolution Mining has restarted the Red Lake underground gold mine in Ontario Canada, after being forced to suspend operations and evacuate its workforce due to the threat of a nearby forest fire.
The company activated its emergency response plan last Monday evening and safely evacuated its workers and contractors.
Evolution executive chairman Jake Klein confirmed that all employees and contractors were accounted for and that there was no damage at Red Lake during the evacuation or as a result of the blaze.
The company worked with local authorities and the community to help contain the fire and to provide other assistance where needed.
“Due to the outstanding efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, together with strong support from the local community, the fire was safely contained before reaching the townships,” Klein said in an ASX announcement.
“There has been no damage to any infrastructure at the operation (and) no material impact to Red Lake’s September quarter gold production is expected.”
The Red Lake forest fire has been downgraded from an SOS alert status to under control status on Sunday morning, according to the Government of Ontario.
It was one of 18 active fires burning across the region last week.
Evolution acquired Red Lake from Newmont in April and aims to increase production to 200,000 ounces a year by the 2023 financial year.