YELLOWKNIFE - A homeless couple was shaken up Monday after returning to their tent pitched amongst the rocks behind Tommy Forrest Park to discover two youth shooting at their lodgings with a pellet gun before it burst into flames.

Smoldering debris is all that remains of a homeless couple's tent behind Tommy Forrest Park after youth shot the tent with a pellet gun Monday afternoon. The tent then caught fire. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

The Yellowknife Fire Department received the first of several calls at 5:10 p.m. from a 57th street resident that reported seeing smoke in the area.

According to deputy fire chief Chucker Dewar, firefighters extinguished the blaze using a five-gallon water tank.

"There were two youths present who allegedly shot something at the tent that caused it to ignite," said Dewar. "But it was unclear what it was (that caused the tent to catch fire)."

The homeless pair, a man and woman who asked to remain anonymous, said they have occupied the spot for three-and-a-half years with little trouble until Monday.

"Some kids come back there, say hello, see how we're doing and offer cigarettes sometimes," said the woman. "But they don't really bother us and I'm not bothered by them but these kids (who shot at the tent) were wild."

The woman said when she saw the two youths firing a pellet gun at the tent, she shouted at them whereby they ran south towards Forrest Drive.

Dewar told Yellowknifer that he became aware of the camp two or three weeks earlier following an emergency ambulance call to the location and advised municipal enforcement, which is responsible for evicting occupants before Yellowknife community services can do a clean-up.

"These can be targets for teenagers and very difficult for us to access for emergency medical or fire responses," said Dewar of his obligation to inform bylaw of squatters' sites, of which he says there are several around the city. "So it's a safety issue, not only for the occupants but for us and the community as well."

RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich confirmed that there was a pellet gun involved but that the identities of the suspects had not yet been confirmed.

"At this point we can't say whether this was an arson as we don't know if the intent was for (the tent) to light on fire," said Dreilich, adding the age of those responsible and other extenuating circumstances needed to be taken into consideration. "If (the suspects) knew there was nobody in the tent then the charge could be mischief."

But for the victims, whose tent was reduced to a smoldering mess, the situation was something beyond mere mischief.

"I guess we'll have to salvage what we can but we just have blankets and no other shelter," she said.