Go back

Features



CDs

NNSL Logo .
 Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad Print window Print this page

Hay River man dies in RV fire

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 3, 2007

HAY RIVER - A Hay River man has died in a fire in a recreational vehicle parked on a downtown street.

Police have identified the victim as James Wong, 33.

The fire occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 28.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

A fire which destroyed this RV in the early morning hours of Aug. 28 claimed the life of a Hay River's James Wong (inset). - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Hay River RCMP said they do not expect foul play.

"Up to date, there's nothing that indicates foul play at all," said Sgt. Ron Rose on Thursday.

An autopsy was performed in Edmonton on Aug. 31.

An RCMP press release indicated the cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation.

The white RV was parked on Capital Drive in front of the town's high-rise apartment building.

When police and the fire department arrived on the scene at about 2:30 a.m., the RV was engulfed in flames.

At the time of the fire, it was not believed that anyone was inside the vehicle, which was owned by friends of Wong.

After the fire was extinguished, a body was discovered.

"Firefighters doing the investigation after the fire was out located the deceased," Rose said.

It is unknown why the victim was in the vehicle.

During the fire, there were several explosions in the RV, possibly from propane.

The RCMP's major crimes unit and forensic identification services from Yellowknife, the coroner's office as well as the Fire Marshal's Office in Fort Smith, assisted in the investigation.

Wong, originally from Vancouver, was well known in Hay River from his time working in and managing local restaurants.

At the time of his death, the father of two young children was a truck driver at the Ekati diamond mine.

Bill Leung, the owner of The Caribou Restaurant, hired Wong for his first job in Hay River as a waiter at The Boardroom Restaurant, which Leung owned at the time.

Leung said Wong only planned to come North for one summer in 1998, but liked Hay River and stayed.

"He was a really nice guy and really good to people," Leung said. "All the people liked him."

Leung noted Wong helped out by waiting tables at The Caribou Restaurant for a couple of hours the evening before the fire.

Later that night, they took part in a poker game, and Leung said Wong was happy because he won $10.

After the game ended before 2 a.m., Wong drove Leung to the high-rise, where both were staying.

Leung said, as he went up to his apartment, Wong was still sitting in his car.

"I was the last one to see him," he said, adding he doesn't know how or why Wong came to be in the RV.

Leung noted Wong seemed fine when he last saw him and hadn't been drinking that night.

The death was a shock to everyone who knew Wong, said Leung. "He was a very good person to know."