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INUVIK
After a residence on Gwich'in Road burned to the ground last week, the Inuvik Fire Department is implementing new strategies and the community is rallying together to help residents who lost everything.

Maia Lepage sells Shirley Bennett Burrell's Avon products at MLA Alfred Moses's office on Friday. The proceeds will go to those who lost their home and all their possessions in the Jan. 31 fire on Gwich'in Road. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Fire Chief Jim Sawkins said the department has ordered tents to be used on fire scenes and discussed how events unfolded on that -38 C afternoon.

"I walked (the department) through some of the changes that we would make to try to make things transition quicker if we were to run into some of the same issues again ... It's just a matter of how we're going to position trucks, lay hose to the trucks and so forth," he said.

He said firefighters will ensure that transition between a pumper and a fire hydrant occurs before the water level is so low the pumper is at risk of freezing, which happened at the Gwich'in Road fire.

The first fire hydrant firefighters attempted to hook up to was frozen, creating a five-minute window where there was no water supply. The second hydrant, on the other side of the property, was able to be opened.

Sawkins said all the hydrants in town were winterized in the fall – drained and administered glycol to the stems to keep them from freezing – yet he is hoping to implement some initiatives such as testing a quarter of the fire hydrants per year as well as flagging the hydrants so they can be easily detected in piles of snow.

Two three-by-three-metre tents are on their way to the town, which Sawkins said will be equipped with heaters for firefighters to take breaks and for maintenance of equipment if some needs thawing.

Sawkins said the official cause of the fire was the use of a Herman Nelson heater in the crawl space which was left unattended.

"People have to be aware of how effective these heaters are and that they can't be left alone. They only should be used for short, supervised durations. They'll dry out the wood," he said.

As the fire department prepares itself logistically to be prepared for future winter fires, the community has stepped up to assist the residents who lost everything in the fire.

Val Robertson, secretary of Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, said the education community has rallied "significant donations" for Steven Loreen, a resident of the Gwich'in Road house who is also the custodian for the school.

"The staff just made the decision to assist Steven because we heard he had lost everything in the fire ... We're looking at things for his kitchen and his bathroom and we hope to be able to pay the first month's rent," she said.

The school has collected clothes and dishes and Samuel Hearne Secondary School has purchased a double bed, a couch and a love seat.

"It's like anything in our community. When disasters happen, we're a small community, we pull together and we do what is right for the people involved," said Robertson.

Maya Lepage was busy at the office of Boot Lake MLA Alfred Moses last week selling Avon products donated by Shirley Bennett Burrell. In two days, Lepage said $915 was collected.

Moses said $400 was donated in one night of the fitness class Boot Camp. The class is usually free – but food bank donations are accepted – however, after an e-mail circulated about the fire and how it affected Loreen, who helped set up the boot camp program, the money poured in.

"This is something unique about a small community, especially Inuvik in particular, when it comes to fundraising efforts or when people are in need. The community finds a way to raise funds or give donations ... It's amazing in Inuvik when something like this happens. Everyone just comes together," Moses said.

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