Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 02/02) - A fire which broke out in the hamlet of Rankin Inlet late last month completely gutted the inside of a private residence.

The lone occupant at the time of the blaze managed to escape the flames without injury.

Rankin's acting fire Chief, Ambrose Karlik, says the damage caused by the fire is estimated to be about $120,000.

Karlik says the origin of the blaze has yet to be determined, but did rule out smoking as the cause.

He says a full investigation will get under way this week with the return of Kivalliq fire marshal Tim Hinds to the community.

The building is surrounded with yellow police tape, barring access to the premises. Karlik says 14 firefighters responded to the call and battled the blaze for more than two hours.

"We have a good idea of how the fire started based on our preliminary investigation, but I have to wait until the fire marshal returns and we investigate it further before releasing any information," says Karlik.

"We understand that the family had no insurance on their belongings, which is always sad news to hear."

A large crowd gathered to watch as firefighters battled the blaze.

Local RCMP officers were kept busy with crowd control, ensuring none of the bystanders got too close to the blaze or impeded the firefighters' efforts.

A number of eyewitnesses reported concern over the length of time it took the first firefighters on the scene to get the water flowing.

Some reports estimate close to 30 minutes elapsed before the water started.

"There was a bit of a delay, but I had to page some of the firefighters a couple of times before they were able to respond.

"Also, the first four to arrive at the scene had to wait for those coming behind with their breathing apparatus before attacking the fire."