Yellowknife (July 18/03) - "Mischief" is suspected in a fire that consumed an abandoned Yellowknife landmark in three hours Wednesday morning.

The old Burns meat packing plant engulfed in flames. - Merle Robillard/NNSL photo

The blaze was "probably caused by mischief," Fire Chief Mick Beauchamp said after the fire destroyed the former Burns meat plant near Con Mine.

"Hopefully, if someone has seen something, they'll give us a call."

Firefighters arrived at 10 a.m. and quickly drew dozens of spectators as they worked to contain the fire.

A Great Slave Helicopter doused the hill and trees behind the burning building to keep the fire from spreading.

"Another landmark gone," said Gladys Eggenberger, one of several bystanders who stopped to watch the fire.

Gwen Gould was driving downtown when she saw the smoke rising.

"It's sad," said Gould, who lived in the Con area for 20 years.

"As kids, we'd go in there," she said.

"There was a crawlspace; we'd find stuff in there. I found a doll once."

History of the site

The two-storey wooden freezer plant was built in the late 1930s as a place to store meat.

"It was one giant freezer divided into rooms," said Walt Humphries.

The building was closed more than 20 years ago and was slated for demolition this fall.

Humphries had wanted to save a few artifacts from the meat plant for the Mining Heritage Society but mostly lamented the loss of a huge amount of lumber.

Rick Drover, who watched the building burn, was surprised to see it go.

"How many times did I Ski-Doo past it this winter," he wondered. "It's been here forever. Gone now."