.

Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

Fire crews put out a smoldering garbage fire in Ndilo late Monday afternoon. Fire Chief Albert Headrick said Tuesday that an investigation into who started the incident is ongoing. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Fire crews put out a small garbage fire in Ndilo late-Monday afternoon which, according to residents, could have been bigger without quick action.

A fire truck and water tanker truck arrived to the smoldering twelve-by-twelve foot fire on a vacant lot beside the David Sangris Elders Home in Ndilo at approximately 4:25 p.m. Monday.

"When we arrived there, it was still fully involved," said Fire Chief Albert Headrick.

"The guys gave it a quick knock-down."

The tanker truck was called since there are no fire hydrants in Ndilo.

A leather couch, tires, a couple of old rusted oil drums, desks and a blanket were part of the pile, which firefighters poked through to douse hot spots. One firefighter took an axe to what looked like a small doghouse to get at the fire.

Headrick said the fire was started deliberately, but did not know who did it.

"That's unknown at this particular time," he said.

"It's still under investigation."

Loretta, a Ndilo resident who would not give her last name, watched crews respond to the fire from her front porch with family members.

She said she saw three teen-aged boys kicking a mirror in the garbage pile.

She called out to them to stop and went inside her home. She said when she came back outside, the boys "were walking real fast" and that's when she noticed the fire.

Loretta called the fire department, and crews were on the scene about five minutes later.

Before crews arrived, she said about six or seven people from the neighbourhood ran out to try to contain the fire with extinguishers or whatever else they could find.

"So everyone came out running - water pails and all," she said.

She said there were gas and oil cans near the pile and thought the fire could have been bigger.

"Good thing the wind wasn't stronger. It would have caught the old folks' (home) on fire," she said.

The elders' home was about 15 metres from the flames.

Headrick said the fire was far enough away from the seniors' home that it did not pose a threat, but added the residents deserved credit for their response.

"The residents have to be commended for taking quick action. They probably kept it at bay before we arrived there," he said.

"There was some old tanks around there but they weren't involved in the fire."