SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A fire on the second floor at a Northern Properties townhouse complex on Gitzel Street damaged one unit Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters battle a second-floor blaze in a townhouse on Gitzel Street Wednesday afternoon. Smoke could be seen as far away as the Yellowknife Direct Co-op on Old Airport Road. A dog in the house at the time of the fire escaped unharmed. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

The fire was called in by a local resident after seeing smoke billowing out of the roof of a unit in the Greenstone Place Townhouses, located on the southwest side of Gitzel Street.

"We went over and kicked the door in," the resident said, who asked to remain anonymous, "but we didn't see anyone in there."

As fire crews entered the building to put out the fire, which burned through the roof of the unit, a golden retriever dog ran out the front door, covered in soot. Foam shot out of the roof of the unit as firefighters contained the blaze.

With the support of Northern Properties officials, firefighters entered adjacent units to make sure no one was inside.

Smoke could be seen as far away as the Yellowknife Direct Co-op grocery store, according to Steve Brown, who lives with his partner next to the unit that was on fire.

"You could see the roofs (from the Co-op) and I saw the smoke and I thought 'Oh geez, that's real close to mine,'" Brown said while watching about a half dozen firefighters battle the blaze.

Gitzel Street was blocked off at Franklin Avenue and at Matonabee Street by municipal enforcement vehicles and a firetruck.

As local residents stood watching the fire department put on the flames, a woman showed up on site asking an RCMP officer if she could get into the unit. Two youths were near the woman, a young boy and girl, both upset and being consoled by friends.

Details on the cause of the blaze and an estimate of damages were not available at this time.