TUKTOYAKTUK (Jan 13/97) - A four-year-old Tuktoyaktuk boy is in hospital recovering from severe burns to his legs after being set on fire.

RCMP said the boy was doused with a flammable liquid and set ablaze last week at lunchtime in the bedroom of a local residence.

A 13-year-old boy is in police custody in Inuvik, charged with aggravated assault. He is scheduled to appear in court in Inuvik today.

The victim is recovering from first-, second- and third-degree burns at the Inuvik Regional Hospital. He is reported to be in stable condition.

His grandmother was caring for him when the incident occurred, a community resident said. The boy's mother was out of town at the time.

The is the second incident of its kind in the NWT in five months.

Six-year-old Bernard Naulalik of Iqaluit is still in hospital recovering from burns he suffered after he was doused with gasoline and set ablaze last August by two 11-year-olds high from sniffing gas.

In that case, a public outcry from the community convinced authorities to ban the two boys -- too young under the Young Offenders Act to be charged by police -- from Iqaluit. Both received counselling while living elsewhere.

NWT Social Services is using that incident to help deal with this latest tragedy.

"We've consulted them and seen how they handled it, but we're not using it as a model," said Deborah Tynes, superintendent of Social Services for the Inuvik region.

Tynes cautioned that she isn't considering the two cases related. "Tuktoyaktuk is an isolated incident," she said. "I don't believe it was a copycat."

Tuk mayor Eddie Dillon agreed.

"Incidents like this, you really can't prevent them," he said. "People just have to look after their kids."

Tynes said she doesn't know if the services in Tuk are up to the task of treating the boy and his family over the long-term.

"We're waiting for an assessment to see what we can do," she said. "We'll see if the services are adequate in Tuktoyaktuk when the children return (to the community.)"