Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 06/01) - A Sunday morning fire at the Gerry Murphy arena caused significant damage to several dressing rooms in portables on the city hall side of the building.

But firefighters stopped the blaze before it penetrated the main arena building, preventing what could have been a massive fire in the all-wood structure, which was built in 1954.

No cause has yet been determined for the fire, and no one was injured. However, fire chief Mick Beauchamp said fire crews had to break their way into the building.

"We did all forcible entry, so that's one good sign," he said. Locked doors reduce suspicions of arson.

Reported just after midnight

Sixteen firefighters and a number of RCMP were at the scene with two pumpers, a rescue truck and an ambulance.

An RCMP officer called in the fire at 12:37 a.m.

Firefighters broke through a back door in one of the dressing rooms and popped out a window in the main arena entrance to gain access to the building.

The first crew on scene forced its way into the centre portable, where the blaze appears to have originated. They found a room filled with smoke, which quickly erupted into flame with the introduction of air.

The centre portable contains a dressing room and a furnace, which is used to heat all three portables. Although the Gerry Murphy was closed on May 1, the furnace was still running to prevent water lines from freezing.

It is unclear whether the city will pay for repairs to the arena, which has been scheduled for demolition in 2003. The NWT fire marshal had ordered its closure, citing a number of safety concerns, especially regarding safety exits in the building.

"It's all up to insurance at this point to find out what the damage is," said city facilities manager Leslie LeMoal, who was at the scene.

The first crew arrived in engine number seven, which is equipped with a 400 gallon water tank. About a quarter of that water remained by the time a second crew arrived on scene. They connected hoses to a hydrant, giving the first crew an uninterrupted supply of water.

Meanwhile, a ventilation crew set up fans in the main arena, which was permeated with smoke. Flames never entered the main building, although one door with access to the portable was framed with soot.

RCMP, the fire department and the NWT fire marshal will investigate the blaze. Mechanical engineers could be called in if an electrical malfunction is suspected.

It's not the first time the Gerry Murphy has caught fire. The current structure was built after a blaze in the early 1950s destroyed a building erected in 1949. At that time, the Gerry Murphy was the only indoor arena in the North.