Fort Norman (Feb 28/05) - Tulita residents are fuming over a slow fire department response to a blaze that destroyed the home of a young family last Monday.

Phillip Clement, 23, Kayla MacCauley, 20, and their three-year-old daughter Zenaide, lost almost everything they owned when a fire ignited around 3 a.m. in the master bedroom of the duplex they inhabited.

Cpl. Merrill Buglar of the Tulita RCMP seized an Xbox from a house fire in Tulita, Feb. 20. He does not know if it caused the fire. Microsoft recently issued a recall notice on power cords for 14.1 million Xbox game consoles over concerns they could cause fires. - John Curran/NNSL photo

No one was in the residence at the time of the incident and no injuries were sustained. Clement and his daughter was at his grandmother's house while MacCauley was out with friends.

"That was the slowest response time I've ever seen," said resident Clay Lennie, 20.

He helped douse the flames and said what started as a small fire didn't have to turn into a blaze.

"They couldn't get the fire truck out because the door was locked," he said.

The community water delivery truck arrived to battle the blaze.

Although the fire hall is only a few blocks from unit #63 where the fire took place and a crew member was outside as he walked by, Lennie said it took them 45 minutes longer to reach the scene than it did him.

Phone calls to the RCMP and fire department weren't answered either, Lennie added.

"Nothing went right, right from the get-go," said Leonard Masuzumi, a resident who also helped put out the fire.

Two days of phone calls by NWT News/North to fire department officials for comment went unanswered.

RCMP Cpl. Merrill Buglar said he was alerted to the fire when someone came to his house. He was unable to say why no-one picked up the call to police, which should have been relayed to Yellowknife.

"Sometimes we have glitches in our system," he said.

Acting NWT Fire Marshal Steve Moss said his office would be looking into the fire.

"I've heard the concerns about the actions of the fire department," he said.

"There may be issues there."

Although the fire was contained to the master bedroom, smoke and water damage destroyed much of the home's contents, said Clement, who was allowed back in Wednesday to salvage what he could.

"There was a television in the living room we got to save," he said. "But basically we're starting right from scratch again."

The neighbouring apartment in the 20-year-old residence also suffered significant water damage, said Richard MacCauley, maintenance person for Tulita Housing.

"Pretty well you have to start (rebuilding) from the floor up."

Damage estimates have not yet been calculated.

Clement along with his partner, both of whom are unemployed, and their daughter now live with his aunt while they await a new home.

"Some people and organizations in Norman Wells are really helping out," said Clement. "They're just giving us stuff to get back on our feet."

Sofas, tables and second-hand appliances have already been offered to the family.

Masuzumi has also spearheaded a campaign to raise funds, with $1,000 already pledged from his company, No Nonsense Services. Clement estimates the family's personal loss amounts to approximately $10,000.

Xbox connection

Cause of the fire isn't known, but police seized an Xbox game console from the scene.

"I heard the warnings about Xbox," said Cpl. Merrill Buglar of the Tulita RCMP, who found the device in the same room where the fire started.

"But I don't know if that caused the fire."

For now, Buglar has not turned the electronic game over for investigation.

Microsoft, maker of Xbox, offered to replace the power cords for 14.1 million of the game stations built before Oct. 23, 2003, just four days prior to the fire.

Reports suggest electrical component failures in the consoles could pose fire hazards.

"Where that Xbox was sitting, the cabinet underneath was totally burnt," said Clement. "It burned right through the dresser and started burning a hole in the floor."

Moss said the Xbox would be examined as part of their investigation.