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THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Although an investigation is continuing, no cause may ever be determined for a fire that basically destroyed a building in Fort Smith's Conibear Park on New Year's Day.

A building in Fort Smith's Conibear Park was basically destroyed by fire on New Year's Day. - NNSL file photo

"At this point in time, I can't rule out electrical, so I might not ever be able to come up with a definitive cause," said NWT Fire Marshal Stephen Moss.

The building is owned by the currently inactive Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce and known as the visitor information centre, although it had not been used for that purpose in a decade. It was being used in the summer for community events, most notably the South Slave Friendship Festival.

The fire marshal has determined that electricity was connected to the building, which was closed for the winter, and outside park lights were controlled by a panel in the structure.

The fire marshal said it is a "distinct possibility" the fire could end up with an unknown cause because there are no witnesses to say where the fire started and the building was so badly damaged.

"It makes it more difficult to find out exactly where it started," he said.

While there was power to the building, Moss said it is unclear what appliances, if any, may have been turned on in the building.

"It hadn't been used for a substantial amount of time, but it doesn't say that there wasn't power to appliances that were in there," he said. "The likelihood of there being some sort of a failure in an appliance that started it is rather remote, but I still can't rule it out."

Even though the fire is still classified as suspicious, since no cause has been determined, there is no indication it was arson, including no signs of forced entry and no witnesses seeing anyone in or around the structure.

"I never had anything that led me to believe that the fire was intentionally set right from the beginning," Moss said, adding arson can't be proven or eliminated.

The fire marshal said he is in the process of eliminating all possible accidental causes.

One of those possibilities is there may have been something left in the building that spontaneously ignited, although Moss noted, with current cold temperatures and the building not have been used for months, the likelihood of that having happened is very small.

On Jan. 12, the fire marshal sent an order to the Town of Fort Smith for the still-standing building to be either repaired or removed as a safety hazard.

The order has a Feb. 11 deadline for compliance.

"But in a case like this, it's flexible based on their ability to perform the job," Moss said. "In the middle of winter, there might be some complications with getting the necessary equipment and doing the work."

The deadline could be extended, but the town would have to secure the building, he added.

Mayor Janie Hobart said the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce is being informed of the fire marshal's order.

"They have to be given first right to be able to repair it," she said.

The mayor noted, while the chamber is not at active organization, people who have been involved in the past with the organization have been contacted and the town is awaiting a response.

If the chamber decides not to repair the building, the town will remove it from the park, which is land owned by the municipality.

An issue of insurance has also arisen concerning the building.

Don Jaque, the last president of the chamber of commerce before it became inactive almost two years ago, noted an arrangement had been made with a former senior administrative officer (SAO) with the town to have the building listed for $195,000 on the municipality's insurance policy, but it was removed by another former SAO.

Jaque said the chamber was never informed of that move.

"We assumed that it was insured and that the insurance coverage was in good order for it," he said. "So, as soon as it burned, I contacted the current SAO right away and asked that they check their files and confirm that it was insured and that there would be compensation accordingly under the town's insurance policy, but unfortunately I was informed at the time that the previous SAO had delisted it."

Jaque said the building is not repairable.

"Obviously, we would want to have the building replaced now that it's been burned down, but since it's not insured, that's problematic," he added.

Hobart confirmed the building was once insured by the town, but it was removed from the policy.

"Because you can't insure something you don't own," she explained.

Hobart said she has no idea how it came to be insured in first place or how it was removed from the policy, other than the removal was done by a former SAO.

"It was not a council decision."

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