Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 10/99) - The Yellowknife business Fyremaster may have gone up in flames.

Fyremaster Equipment and Sales (1996) Ltd., is currently out of service. Fyremaster's business activities included sales and service of fire extinguishers and welding supplies.

The company's offices, near the City Market along Franklin Avenue, are closed and the firm's phone answering service is not accessible.

The company's owners, James Baillie and Rick McDonald, could not be reached for comment. It is believed Baillie has moved to P.E.I.

Baillie and McDonald are the company's president and secretary/treasurer respectively.

They took over Fyremaster in March, 1997, from Alexander Loutitt and Beverly Loutitt, who started the company in 1988.

Although it is unclear what will happen to the Yellowknife company, the Hay River-based sister company was recently sold.

Fyremaster (Hay River) Ltd. was bought by the Hay River Metis Development Corp.

The development corporation had owned a minority stake and recently acquired 100 per cent of the Hay River unit.

The Hay River company has been renamed NorTech Fire and Safety.

Clell Crook, Hay River Dene Development Corp.'s vice-president, said NorTech will initially focus on the change of ownership and servicing clients in Hay River. When it comes to servicing customers in Yellowknife, Crook said, "We're in a holding pattern," but added there is a possibility the Hay River company could service Yellowknife.

Acklands-Grainger Branch Manager Brad Christensen said turnaround time for fire extinguisher refills is about a week. The Old Airport Road company ships extinguishers for refills to its Edmonton service centre.

GNWT Fire Prevention Act Regulations require fire extinguishers to be inspected regularly.