Yellowknife (Oct 16/06) - The owner of the store where two firefighters died inside a collapsed and improperly built shed last year wonders whether the little building may have previously been overlooked by city inspectors.

Chuck Corothers owner of Home Building Centre, said city building inspectors have been on the property twice since he took over the store in 1994, but isn't sure if any of the buildings outside the main store were inspected because he doesn't own the property itself, which is controlled by the Beaver Lumber Company, based in Ontario.

He said any follow-up by city building inspectors would have gone to Beaver Lumber's real estate division, not him, and he would need permission from the company to view permit files and inspection reports at City Hall.

Corothers said he assumed the 53 square meter saw shed was inspected when he took over the store and on another occasion in 1999/2000 when the store was renovated.

"The assumption on my part is that when the original construction was done (in 1994) it would've had to have an inspection done on (the shed) for the store to be allowed to be opened and issued a business licence," said Corothers.

"I can't help but feel this was the building that was just forgotten."

According to a report released Wednesday by NWT Fire Marshal Bernie Van Tighem, there are no City Hall records indicating whether either the city's building division or the fire department had ever inspected the shed or when it was erected.

Corothers said the shed was there before he opened his store.

As for the shed's 240 volt electric heater that started the fire and the chain of events leading to the deaths of Lieut. Cyril Fyfe and firefighter Kevin Olson, Corothers admits its operation and maintenance was his store's responsibility.

The same heater was present when he took over the store in 1994. There used to be two heaters in the shed but one was removed some time ago, said Corothers.

"With our boilers we have a maintenance schedule, with our sprinklers we have a maintenance schedule, our extinguishers we have maintenance schedule, but we did not for those electrical heaters in that building," said Corothers.

"We can't totally absolve ourselves of a feeling of responsibility that there should've been two (heaters) in there."

The store has since built a new saw shed which is attached to the main store's boiler room with a hot water heater system in the floor. The shed is also equipped with a sprinkler system.

He said he's had some smaller buildings around the store removed since the fire, but one other Beaver Lumber-owned building he uses for storage remains and he doesn't know what to do about it.

"My concern is because of the age of the building, are there any permits on it?" said Corothers.

"If it doesn't, then what do we got to do to get it removed."

Corothers said he sent letters to Beaver Lumber Thursday, to ask permission to check city files to see if buildings on the property have been inspected and that they are permitted.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said conducting more building inspections in the city is "top of mind" right now.

There are currently two building inspectors on staff, with plans to get the new fire chief and fire hall safety officer to help out with inspections.

"You have four people who can spread the workload out better," said Van Tighem.

The head office of Beaver Lumber could not be reached for comment at press time.