Fire Chief Loassie Tassugat went into a flaming building to save Clyde River's only fire truck. - photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cowan

It was 8:20 a.m. and as Clyde River's fire chief for the last three years, Tassugat was devastated.

He said he doesn't remember thinking anything when he got the news other than he needed to reach the hall.

"I drove the fire truck out of the building with flames coming out the top of it. I also tried to move the water truck but it wouldn't start," explained Tassugat.

Tassugat burned his hands and neck from the heat. He said they're getting better now but the fire department is not. It's been destroyed. The water truck is gone and the fire truck is out of commission.

The flames were so hot they twisted the steel frame of the hall beyond the point of salvageability. Damages are estimated to be in the range of $1 million.

Now Tassugat is concerned -- but not for the equipment he couldn't save -- it's the safety of his community that worries him. He said it's hard to ensure safety without the right equipment.

"I couldn't just look at the fire truck burning, I needed to take it out. It's the only fire truck in town and I wanted to save it," he explained.

It took the fire chief and 15 volunteers several hours to put out the flames. They had to borrow equipment like axes from the community to douse the blaze.

Until a new fire truck comes in, Tassugat said there's only one hope in the community for firefighters.

Clyde River has an old water truck which is being used 24 hours a day to meet the demands of the 800 residents. Tassugat said if a fire starts in Clyde River, it will be this truck that needs to come to the rescue.

The hamlet posted the phone numbers of firefighters in public places in case of emergencies, since he's not sure when the old 924-6223 will work again.

For the time being residents can call him at home.

He said it will be a minimum of 60 days for a new fire truck and a new fire hall probably won't be built until the summer.

The fire department is using the hamlet garage to house what equipment it has left.

Panniqtuuq has offered some assistance to the Clyde River. They will lend bunker suits to the community until new ones arrive.

Eric Doig, Manager of Nunavut Emergency Services, said the government of Nunavut and the community are looking at a number of different options to resolve this problem.

"There's talk of using a Hercules aircraft (to bring in a new truck) or using other types of equipment already in the community to replace the trucks," said Doig.

Representatives of the Department of Community Government and Transportation (CGT) were in Clyde River last week to examine the possibilities.

The determined that even though the airstrip at the Clyde River airport is long enough to accommodate a Hercules, it could still be extended by 150 metres by removing the threshold lights near the end of the runway. Officials said the extra length would simply be a safety precaution.

A Hercules aircraft would be able to carry a new fire truck and new water truck to the community swiftly. The only down side is the flight would be expensive.

The department will make final decisions within the next week.

Manitok Thompson, CGT minister, took the opportunity while visiting the community to recognize Tassugat for his efforts.

"He attempted to go into the building four times to salvage whatever he could. He's a very dedicated individual," said Thompson at a community meeting.

Nunavut's fire marshal, Gerald Pickett, investigated the scene shortly after the fire. The cause is still being determined.