Fort Simpson (Oct 29/04) - A dramatic fire in a detached garage caused neighbouring residents to vacate their homes on Oct. 23.

Nobody was injured, but the garage's owner, Dan Page, lost all of his possessions, which he values at an estimated $20,000-$25,000. The cause of the blaze was still under investigation as of Tuesday.

Page said he has no idea how the fire ignited. He shut off power to the 20- by 24-foot storage structure around 5 p.m. that afternoon, via the main breaker in his house, as he does every evening, he said.

He awoke to the RCMP banging at his door after 1 a.m. He and the two other people in his house quickly made their way out.

"I could feel the heat halfway down the hall way in the house," Page recalled. He had no insurance on the items in and around the garage -- tools, a Sea-Doo, vehicles and vehicle parts. However, he was storing a vehicle for someone else and it was insured.

"If they investigate and say the truck started the fire, then maybe I can get something out of it. Other than that, I eat everything that I lost," he said. "There's no sense crying about it. It's not going to bring it back."

By the time firefighters arrived, the garage, located across the street from the water treatment plant, was fully aflame, according to fire chief Pat Rowe.

"It was totalled when we got there," he said, adding that a number of explosions occurred within the garage. Magnesium rims caused some intense flashes when the water contacted them.

Firefighters concentrated their efforts on soaking the adjacent buildings, one of which sustained minor heat damage.

Eight volunteer firefighters responded to the emergency, Rowe noted. There are currently 11 members on the brigade.

The fire chief said he would like to have at least 20 volunteers.

"The group we've got is extremely good (but)... we definitely could use more people," he said, adding that inactivity due to a lack of fires and fewer ambulance calls have contributed to the decline in personnel.

He said the department is planning to push for more training this winter. Senior firefighters are negotiating with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to establish a regional training centre in Fort Simpson.