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INUVIK - Town firefighters had their hands full during Samuel Hearne Secondary School graduation weekend, responding to two out-of-control fires that resulted in hundreds of yards of scorched brush. Crews were called to three separate fires on the weekend of June 5. The most serious blazes occurred at Happy Valley Territorial Park during the wee hours of Saturday, June 6 and near the graveyard early Sunday morning.

Inuvik Fire Chief Al German, who was involved in both early morning firefighting efforts, said a unit of about seven firefighters arrived at the park around 2:30 a.m. to find a swath of about 150 yards of burning brush and grass, which had reached a nearby utilidor.

A photo taken June 16 shows the remains of a suspicious fire that occurred at Happy Valley Territorial Park on June 6. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

The blaze was extinguished quickly with only minor damages to the structure.

Just hours before the fire, which was reported by residents, police officers had shooed away a group of underage drinkers from the site. Officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources also showed up to monitor the fire.

German said the blaze near the graveyard was the result of a bonfire set by SHSS graduates that spread to a nearby walking trail, leaving about 50 yards of charred brush along the walkway.

Firefighters responded to calls from residents and arrived on scene at about 3 a.m., where they found students still lingering. Several grave wreaths were found strewn about the cemetery. No gravestones were damaged.

At the same time that one fire crew was dealing with that fire, another crew of about seven firefighters were called by police to another graduate-set fire at a clearing near the end of Navy Road. This was after RCMP officers repeatedly asked the partiers to extinguish the blaze.

German said the students at both fire scenes were co-operative.

"They were graduation fires and they were just having a good time, in my opinion," he said.

He said the fires could have been a lot more serious had they occurred later on in the summer, when conditions are much drier.

SHSS vice-principal Lorne Guy said he hadn't heard about any of the fires and said he wouldn't comment until he looked into the matter.

German said the town should look at building more fire pits so people can enjoy themselves safely.

"It's quite common that these kinds of fires happen, whether it's the homeless or someone making a campfire or it's a drinking party and they lose control," he said.

"You have to be careful."