2 hospitalized for smoke inhalation, fire destroys vehicles in Iqaluit
No damage to surrounding buildings, city spokesperson says
An Iqaluit firefighter walks past the charred remains of vehicles destroyed by a fire Thursday evening. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Two youths were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and several vehicles were damaged by a fire in Iqaluit Thursday evening.
Firefighters responded to a call of two vehicles on fire in a residential parking lot in Tundra Ridge around 7:30 p.m., City of Iqaluit spokesperson Geoff Byrne said.
Approximately 15 minutes later, flames were no longer visible but there was a smell of smoke in the air and firefighters could be seen tending to two charred vehicles.
Several RCMP officers were on scene controlling traffic and questioning bystanders.
Byrne said none of the buildings in the area were damaged.
“However, two vehicles were seriously affected, and a few others received minor damage,” he said.
“All the damaged vehicles appear to be derelict.”
The two young people who were hospitalized are “fine,” Byrne said. He didn’t say how old they were.
He said he couldn’t comment on the cause of the fire and that the RCMP is investigating. Nunavut RCMP have not yet responded to a request for comment.
Thursday’s fire happened in the parking lot behind a building that was damaged by a fire on Jan. 16 in which five people were hospitalized and one person died.
Iqaluit firefighters work at the scene of a vehicle fire Thursday night. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
This is the second time a car was caught on fire, there was one near the soup kitchen. Is it kids?? This isn’t okay, Iqaluit is becoming more of a crime city.
How does a new public housing unit already have derelict vehicles?
Because the clowns that own them don’t want to pay the disposal fees so they just look for places to park and dump them and make them a community problem and cost.
Bylaw and council keep letting them.
Here’s an idea: what about charge that fee when a vehicle is brought to Nunavut, and then dispose of vehicles for free? The government would literally make more money and clean up the town at the same time.
This comment is what so many are wondering. The fees to get rid of the car encourages situations like this and shady sales. Why charge to bring the vehicles into town instead?
That idea makes perfect sense (New Idea) another part of the problem is that those who own derelict vehicles don’t want to let go of said vehicle and want to leave it sitting on the landlord’s parking lot until bylaw comes along and imposes a hefty fine on the landlord. And guess what, most of the time the landlord is the housing authority, therefore it again is the taxpayer who has to pay for the tenant who will not properly dispose of their vehicle. I would suggest that the city impose a $1000 tax on all incoming vehicles to Iqaluit, and for those who deliver their vehicle to the land fill when they are finished with them, give them $500 back, kinda like they do with the pop bottles.
Kids can now set their sights on collecting some serious dough, going around town collecting old vehicles to trade in for hundreds of dollars, compared to the measly pennies they earn from aluminum cans 😂
Fine the last registered owner and include removal costs
What if you sell your car and someone doesn’t switch it over into their name and drive it for a few years, then you have to pay the fine? I think NOT.
You can’t put a plate on it (registered without a pink slip) (Insurance). If there is no plate or updated sticker, the bylaw will stop you, and bingo. You lose the car. How many cars do you think are in Iqaluit and operating under your scenario? Not many methinks, if any.
Yes fine the last registered owner! NOT!!! What if someone buys the car and drives it for years and never switches the registration and then leaves it derelict?
John Murphy is living in a bubble. Sold my car and the guy never switched it over. Now I have to prove that I actually sold it – the buyer takes all the paperwork.
first collect the tax arrears … millions! Note what NWT does… sell the property after it gets to a certain point after trying first to work with the tax payer. At times it is a relief to the landlord who cannot afford it year after year, owing more and more.
Check what Inuvik does for example. It works.
So happy my taxes go to building homes for people who don’t pay taxes. Probably a 30 million dollar building half destroyed within a couple years of being built.. ouch..
The outrageous fee to pay for removal of old cars and trucks is too high for many people here. There are 100’s of old useless cars without busted windows everywhere. The city has to come up with better plans for taking these eyesores to the dump for proper disposal. The fires will keep happening. Basically some areas are junk yards now with anything and everything. Some people hoard useless junk too.
If you can afford to buy the car then you can afford to pay the disposal fee, if not, don’t be buying cars.
The building has 3 burnt out unusable apartments in it already and its only a couple of years old. Now they are burning cars in the parking lot. Why do our tax dollars pay for these people who don’t pay taxes and destroy everything they are given for free. Hmmm time to start thinking about why the Feds are throwing $1,000,000,000 dollars away on a dead horse.
If you can afford to buy a car then you can afford to pay for the disposal. Saying people can’t afford it is BS, they can afford to go to the beer and wine everyday and smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day. People do not manage their money, they spend it as fast as they get it.