Rankin Inlet (Jul 05/06) - Fire officials believe a blaze that spread across 250 metres of tundra outside Rankin Inlet last week was sparked by an out of control hot-dog cookout.

Members of Rankin's volunteer fire department spent two hours battling the June 24 blaze, which tore across a swath of moss cover about 10 kilometres from the hamlet.

A pack of wieners was still on top of a small, stone hearth when the smoke, visible from Rankin, finally cleared.

"It could have been much worse if there had been muskeg (under the tundra surface)," said assistant fire marshal Allan Smith.

"I've seen a muskeg fire in British Columbia that burned for a year."

The blaze began sometime around 5 p.m. at a popular campsite overlooking the Meliadine River, a 15 minute drive from Rankin.

The fire spread quickly across the bone-dry tundra, Smith said.

Five firefighters and one pumper truck were eventually able to corral the blaze as curious residents watched from a few hundred metres away.

With stronger winds, the fire could have been more devastating, Smith said.

Nearby campers spotted the blaze and called the fire department. The hotdog cookers left the site and drove back to Rankin to notify officials, Smith said.