The city landfill re-opened to the general public Saturday morning and the weigh scales were back in operation for commercial traffic that afternoon.

"We are impressed with how quickly things turned around,” Dave Muir, the city's public works manager, said in an interview this morning.

The dump was closed to the public following a deliberately set fire last Tuesday morning which destroyed the gatehouse to the landfill.

Commercial haulers then had to weigh their loads at the highway scales before dumping at the landfill until the scales located next to the gatehouse could be checked and repaired.

An official with the Prince George, B.C. office of Weights and Measures Canada arrived in Whitehorse last Thursday to conduct the inspection and replace components that had been damaged by fire and heat.

Muir said there was some heat damage to steel structure of the scales.

Until the city receives the official's written report and recommendations, it won't know the extent of the damage nor whether the scales need to be replaced eventually.

City crews removed the burned rubble and laid down a new gravel pad for the ATCO trailer which is now serving as the gatehouse until a new building is put up later this year, Muir said.

He said power has been reconnected and all the necessary computer equipment and software is up and running again, including credit and debit card services.

Considering city staff couldn't get on the site until Thursday, after the fire investigators completed their work, it was quick work to have the landfill open again Saturday morning, Muir said.

The RCMP are continuing their investigation, and have collected evidence that needs to be analyzed.

The fire marshall's office did find last week the fire had been started deliberately.

When the gatehouse operator showed up for work shortly before 7 a.m. last Tuesday, the gatehouse was engulfed in flames and the gate at the site had been busted through.