Explorer Hotel fire started by youth
Hotel guests evacuated after child playing with lighter sets book ablaze
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Guests at the Explorer Hotel were forced to evacuate as sprinklers doused the second floor Monday night after a child set a book on fire while playing with a lighter.
Crews monitor clean-up operations in the lobby of the Explorer Hotel yesterday morning after a fire Monday night. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
Firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the hotel just after 8 p.m., according to city spokesperson Richard McIntosh. Upon arrival they were told heavy smoke was coming from a room on the second floor.
Crews then extinguished what remained of a small fire inside the second floor room. The sprinkler system, which had extinguished most of the fire, was then shut down. There were no injuries reported.
Guests had initially evacuated the building and were outside when firefighters arrived. Guests were eventually brought back inside once the sprinklers were deactivated and allowed to return to their rooms, according to McIntosh. Guests staying on the second floor were moved to different rooms.
"There was extensive water damage on the second floor and the lobby area on the first floor," McIntosh stated in a news release.
"It's believed the water damage was caused by the automated sprinkler system."
Clean-up crews were on scene Tuesday morning, mopping up the water damage in the lobby. A damage total has not been released. A call to the manager at the hotel had not been returned by press time.
