 | E-mail this story |  | Write letter to editor |  | Order a classified ad |
| E-mail this story | | Write letter to editor | | Order a classified ad |
 Fort McPherson firefighter Wayne Greenland, left, fire chief Norm Firth and Beaufort Delta assistant fire marshal Claude Gervais survey the still smouldering NWT Power Corporation power plant hours after the fire was extinguished, Jan. 19. - Erin Fletcher/NNSL photo |
The Jan. 19 fire erupted in the early morning hours and left the community without electricity for more than 14 hours.
Claude Gervais, the Beaufort Delta assistant fire marshal, spent the past two weeks trying to take samples from the site for testing. He's been hampered by all the safety gear he's had to wear to protect himself from the cold and potential air-born contaminants.
"It was really getting to a point where the respirator was filling up and you were sucking on ice," he said of why the investigation has taken so long.
Right now he's waiting for an environmental team from Calgary to finish testing the air for harmful substances, such as asbestos, before he can continue.
The hamlet lifted the state of emergency Jan. 26, and is now operating on temporary generators until a new plant can be built.
"Everything is back to normal in the community," said Gervais.
The school re-opened a week ago and the recreation programs are back in full swing.
The NWT Power Corporation installed the last of the three generators needed to keep the community at full power late last week.
Over the next week the Power Corporation will launch a steering committee, with representatives from the company and the community, to develop plans for the new plant.
It's normally a two to three year process to plan a plant, said Peter Watt, marketing and communications officer for the NWT Power Corporation.
Fire comes at a cost
"We're trying to fast track this replacement plant with something up and running by next winter," said Watt, adding there will be some tight deadlines to meet.
Acting hamlet Mayor William Koe said the fire will cost the hamlet between $15,000 and $20,000 to pay for all the burst pipes, fuel, wood and emergency equipment required during the week-long state of emergency.
A lot of concerns about emergency generators and the water supply have grown out of the blaze. Koe told Premier Joe Handley, during the premier's visit to the community Jan. 24, the community needs a water source closer than 12 miles away and emergency generators in the school and airport.
Gervais hopes to return to the plant by late this week to complete his work by mid-February.
