SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It was a day so tragic, so horrible, so mind-numbing that those who were in Yellowknife at the time will likely never forget it.
Kevin Olson, 24, originally from Calgary, had only been a firefighter for two weeks and was working on his first actual fire when he killed fighting a shed fire at the Home Building Centre on March 17, 2005. - photo courtesy of the Olson family
Cyril Fyfe's family gathers at his gravesite Tuesday at a memorial to mark the passing of the fire fighter ten years ago including Julie Loomis, left, Andrea Loomis, Gail McQueen, Susan Abernethy, Garrett Fyfe and Claire Fyfe. - John McFadden/NNSL photo
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It was a decade ago, 10 years to the day yesterday – March 17, 2005 – that firefighters Lt. Cyril Fyfe and Kevin Olson made the ultimate sacrifice when they were crushed after a saw shed they were fighting a fire in collapsed on top of them. Olson, a fresh-faced 24-year-old rookie, was pronounced dead shortly after he was dug out and rushed to Stanton Territorial Hospital. He'd only been a firefighter for two weeks and was actually fighting his first-ever fire. Fyfe, 41, a 19-year veteran of the department, was pulled off life support days later at an Edmonton hospital.
The Yellowknife International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2890 held a public ceremony for the fallen crew members yesterday at Lakeview Cemetery. The city also lowered flags at its facilities. An event will also be held at the fire hall to honour the firefighters in the fall. No date has yet been announced.
The men's deaths was a cold, stark reminder that firefighters put their lives on the line every time they answer the alarm bell.
The fire had broken out in a saw shed at the Home Building Centre on Old Airport Road. Fyfe and Olson were two of the first three firefighters to arrive on scene.
Much has been said and written about that day.
Current fire chief Darcy Hernblad was the deputy chief at the time and the lead firefighter, calling the shots at the scene.
He was charged, along with Fire Chief Mick Beauchamp and the City of Yellowknife, by the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) with failing to provide adequate safety training and taking reasonable precautions.
Those charges were stayed more than a year and a half later when an agreement was reached that saw $300,000 put aside by the city over 10 years to train command firefighters.
Hernblad also had to pass a competency exam.
An investigation determined that Hernblad had ordered four firefighters onto the shed's roof to cut ventilation holes, which led to the collapse of the roof.
He had been deputy fire chief for about two years when the tragedy occurred.
There is no doubt it was a chaotic scene that day as it often is when a fire is spreading rapidly, in this case fueled by lumber.
Court documents revealed that not all firefighters on scene had checked in until ordered to do so by Hernblad.
After the collapse, Hernblad was told by a another firefighter that everyone was safe and accounted for.
But he learned about three minutes later that three crew members were missing.
One of those firefighters, believed to have been on the roof, was rescued from the rubble.
Minutes later, Fyfe and Olson were pulled from the shed and rushed to hospital.
Their autopsies showed both firefighters died from asphyxia as the weight from the debris prevented them from breathing.
Fyfe's widow, Andrea Loomis issued a heartfelt statement from the family on the 10-year anniversary of the fire.
It reads: "To our family it doesn't feel like 10 years have gone by. It's a deep hurt that never goes away but yet every day we still feel the love and joy Cyril has etched into our lives. As painful as this time of year is, we are reminded of the happiness, the joy and the love that he has given us that continues to impact our lives today. No matter the amount of time that goes by, Cyril is deeply missed and always in our hearts."
Craig Halifax was a senior firefighter that day and was also the president of the local firefighters association. He said he was one of the four firefighters' on the roof that collapsed.
"It was the toughest day of my career and I've been at it for 16 years now," said Halifax.
"I remember it like it was yesterday and I think about that event every day."
Halifax said he'll be in attendance at the memorial to honour Fyfe, a man he describes as his mentor.
"He taught me a lot about being a firefighter and moulded me and has a lot to do with why I'm still in the field."
Halifax is currently the chief of emergency services for Kananaskis Village, Alta.
Mike Lowing was a lieutenant for the fire division at the time. He cut short his vacation in Hawaii and rushed home upon hearing the news that Fyfe and Olson had been killed.
"Cyril and I both grew up in Nipawin, Sask. We didn't know each other then, but once we realized that connection we had a bond," Lowing said.
"We're about the same age. Our kids went to school together so he was more than just a fellow firefighter."
Fyfe hung on long enough at the hospital for family and friends to say goodbye, and for his organs to be donated to 16 different people, including his heart, said Lowing.
"That organ recipient sent a message of thanks on the first anniversary of Cyril's death," said Lowing.
Lowing was reluctant to speak about the controversy and the safety charges that resulted from the firefighters' deaths.
"It was 10 years ago and I've let go of that part of the story," he said.
The NWT fire marshal determined that a space heater was the cause of the fire.
Dave Grundy, president and CEO of the WSCC, was the communications manager for the workers compensation board at the time. He said the city has one more year to complete the training of command officers ordered in territorial court as part of the agreement to stay the safety violation charges.
"We're very pleased with the way they're progressing in their training and as far as we're concerned they're living up to all their obligations of the agreement," said Grundy.
