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Yellowknife firefighters arrive to find a shed on a fire at 5407 48 Street. Friday night at around 7:30 p.m. It took firefighters a little more than half an hour to extinguish the blaze. - photo courtesy of Mike Jackson

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A quick response from the Yellowknife Fire Department prevented a shed fire from spreading to adjacent homes and property Friday night.

The fire department was called to a home on a corner lot at 5407 48 Street off School Draw Ave. at around 7:40 p.m. A shed next to the home was on fire, sending flames and smoke several feet in the air. The blaze attracted a large crowd of neighbours and passersby who watched as firefighters doused the fire.

Amanda Dei, whose house stands only a few metres from the shed, said she was in her bedroom when she heard a noise outside.

"I just heard a pop and I looked out my window and saw people across the street," said Dei.

"Then I went out onto to my back deck and saw (the fire) next door."

Dei described the response by the fire department as "pretty quick."

"By the time I moved my truck, I saw the sirens already."

One fire truck with a crew of four firefighters, two senior officers, and two paid-on-call firefighters attended the blaze. Municipal enforcement officers and a Community Patrol Services vehicle blocked vehicle access to School Draw Ave. near 46 Street and at 49 Street while firefighters dealt with the fire.

The shed, while not completely burnt, suffered extensive damage during the fire. A tarp on an adjacent shed had also melted through.

The fire was quickly brought under control even though there were still some flames visible in the shed's roof at around 8 p.m.

A man identifying himself as the owner of the property said he didn't know what caused the fire. He declined to offer his name.

Yellowknife fire chief Albert Headrick said the fire appeared to have been started by a shorted-out battery charger.

"Something shorted, there's no doubt about that," said Headrick.

The fire chief estimated the fire caused between $15,000 and $20,000 in damages to the shed and a snowmobile parked within.