SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A smokehouse in Dettah that elders use for cooking has burned to the ground for the second time.

The remains of a small shed-like smokehouse beside the Dettah Imii Elders' Home that burned to the ground around 3 p.m. Wednesday. - Katie May/NNSL photo

The small wooden building beside the Imii Elders' Home went up in flames around 3 p.m. while an elder was inside lighting an appliance for cooking.

The woman escaped with no injuries and a crew of roughly four volunteers put the fire out within 15 minutes using Dettah's water truck. By then, the building was already destroyed.

Shortly after putting out the fire, witnesses said the group of volunteers left the scene to go out on a boat.

Yellowknife's fire department arrived on scene once the fire was out and checked the area for hot spots.

NWT fire marshal Steve Moss confirmed that the original smokehouse burned down a few years ago because of a cooking fire.

"I'm kind of hopeful they don't build one again," he said, adding if the community does build another smokehouse, it should have proper safety precautions in place.

Moss happened to be on scene at the time of the fire as he was investigating the Sunday morning house fire in Dettah. A 45-year-old man charged with arson in the case turned himself in to police and appeared in court Wednesday.