THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - A young couple in Fort Smith escaped a house fire thanks to the quick actions of two passers-by and a neighbour.

Valerie Norwegian was one of three women who awoke sleeping occupants of a burning trailer in Fort Smith. - photo courtesy of Valerie Norwegian

Valerie Norwegian, 32, and Ann Beaudriault, 26, were driving in Tamarack Trailer Court in the early morning hours of Oct. 24 when they noticed smoke.

As they got closer to the source, they saw that the front door, stairs and side of a trailer were on fire.

"There was absolutely nobody around," Norwegian said, although she said they noticed a vehicle parked outside.

As she called the fire department on her cell phone, Beaudriault began knocking on the windows of the home, and was joined by Shirley Hehn, who lives next door.

Norwegian said they all went to the back of the trailer.

"We were banging on the windows for them to get up," she said.

Eventually, the two occupants of the trailer were awoken and escaped unharmed.

Norwegian said, after her adrenalin stopped rushing and she stopped shaking, she realized what she and the other two rescuers had done.

"I think the three of us together saved their lives," she said, adding that feels really good.

Fort Smith Fire Chief Darren Linaker confirmed the two renters of the property – a couple in their 20s – were asleep when the fire started and were awakened by the three women.

The fire chief also said the trailer did not have smoke detectors.

Linaker said the fire could have been "catastrophic" without the intervention of the three women.

The fire can also serve as a warning to all people about the importance of having smoke detectors, he said.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at about 1:50 a.m.

Linaker said it was a difficult fire to combat.

"It was one of those old-time trailers that has been renovated and built on to," he said, adding it had two roofs and various nooks and crannies.

Linaker said the trailer suffered extensive damage.

"I would say it's a total loss in my opinion," he said, estimating the cost of structural damage to be in excess of $50,000.

Linaker said there was smoke and water damage to the building's contents, but some were salvageable.

The blaze is being investigated by the NWT Fire Marshal's Office.

Sgt. Grant Payne of the RCMP said the fire is not suspicious.

Payne said his understanding is the fire may have been caused by ashes from a wood stove emptied earlier that evening into a box outside the trailer.

The sergeant cautioned everyone to dispose of such ashes safely.