Firefighters in Cape Dorset had only one pumper truck to extinguish a blaze at Peter Pitseolak High School early Sept. 6. The building was completely destroyed but no one was injured and no other buildings were affected. - photo courtesy of John Corkett |
Dorset school destroyed
Peter Pitseolak High burns to ground hours after fire at Iqaluit airport
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, September 7, 2015
KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
Peter Pitseolak High School in Cape Dorset was completely destroyed by fire, sources in the community said Sept. 6.
"We've still got people on the ground there right now," said Fire Marshal Robert Prima just after noon on Sept. 6.
Efforts at the scene of the fire were ongoing at press time and little official information was available.
The school, which serves approximately 150 students from Grade 7 to 12, was reopened in November 2010 after $17.5 million in renovations in extensive renovations were completed to add a new library, larger gym and music room.
All areas of the structure are destroyed and one pumper was insufficient to the task, stated John Corkett, a Nunavut Housing Corporation employee in Cape Dorset.
"As you can see, there is nothing left," Corkett stated in an e-mail. "There are now at least five youth in custody as suspects."
New terminal catches fire
Meanwhile, the roof of Iqaluit's new airport terminal, part of a $300-million construction project, caught fire on the night of Sept. 5.
The airport fire was reported at 7:22 p.m. and took 45 minutes for fire crews to get under control. Dense black smoke blew into the Iqaluit downtown core for the duration.
"Airport fire department, Public Works water trucks, municipal enforcement and RCMP all helped to bring this incident under control," said Iqaluit Fire Chief Luc Grandmaison.
Seventeen firefighters responded, and hundreds of onlookers crowded the streets in cars and on foot.
Grandmaison said firefighters left the scene around 9 p.m., and no cause of fire was known at press time. Investigations into the cause began the next day with the office of the fire marshal. There were no injuries to report.
