Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 23/05) - A Workers' Compensation Board probe into a blaze that killed two Yellowknife fire-fighters earlier this year could be completed "very soon", a board spokesperson said last week.

The investigation began eight months ago when fire department veteran Cyril Fyfe and rookie Kevin Olson died after battling a blaze beside an Old Airport Road hardware store, March 17.

"The investigation is ongoing still," board spokesperson Dave Grundy said Friday. "There is no timeline when it is going to be finished. Hopefully very soon."

Few details have been made public in the wake of the fatal fire.

Northwest Territories Fire Marshal Bernie Van Tighem announced in October that the blaze was caused by an overworked space heater, but declined to release his entire report until the WCB probe is complete.

Van Tighem said Monday he did not want to influence WCB investigation, but shared his findings with the City of Yellowknife, which is responsible for the fire department.

The WCB probe is one of four that were launched after the deaths, which were met with condolences from across North America.

During the ultimately fatal fire March 17, Olson and Fyfe were in a saw shed at Home Building Centre when the roof collapsed under the weight of accumulated snow and other firefighters. They suffocated under fallen debris, according to the coroner.

The Yellowknife Fire Department declined to discuss the WCB and Fire Marshal probes or any procedural changes that have been adopted in the wake of the blaze.

"At such time when the (WCB) report comes out, we can comment on what changes may have been made," said deputy chief Chucker Dewar.

The Olson family also declined to comment on the investigation.