Washing machine blaze forces apartment residents to flee, arson suspected
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Apr 06/01) - An early morning laundry room blaze forced about 30 residents of Teepee Apartments from their beds Apr. 4.
No one was injured in the fire that started inside a washing machine on the first floor. The blaze is under investigation.
"It looks like someone was setting some laundry on fire because wet clothes don't burn," said Inuvik fire chief Al German. "It's always the dryer that starts on fire. This is my first washing machine."
Damage of the machine and smoke damage in the room is estimated at about $1,000.
Apartment resident Forest Kendi said he was awakened by his nephew, but thought the alarm might have been a prank.
"After a while (a fire fighter) knocked on my door. I smelled smoke and thought I better get out," he said.
Kendi joined the rest of the tenants as they left the building through fire exits and stood scattered outside where emergency vehicles lit up the block with their swirling red warning lights.
Kendi said young children and the elderly took shelter in fire trucks and police vehicles.
