Fire sweeps through Iqaluit construction site

Updated on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 9 p.m.

Firefighters in Iqaluit were battling a blaze Saturday morning at a building that was under construction near the Capital Suites hotel.

Iqaluit firefighters battle a blaze at a construction site Saturday morning. Officials asked residents to avoid the area around the nearby Capital Suites hotel. (Photo by Jason Sudlovenick, special to Nunatsiaq News)

There was no immediate word about any injuries, city spokesperson Kent Driscoll said late Saturday morning.

The exact time the fire was reported was not available, but Driscoll said he was notified at 7 a.m., meaning the fire broke out before then.

Driscoll said there was a “huge” amount of smoke, and noise from the fire scene could be heard several blocks away.

A cloud of thick smoke drifted south from the fire site toward the Northmart store.

The fire occurred at a construction site, which was reportedly to be the site of a new dental office.

Late Saturday morning, the block around the fire was cordoned off, with numerous fire department, RCMP and city bylaw vehicles in the area.

Because it was under construction, Driscoll said it might not have been assigned a building number yet.

Residents were asked to avoid the area immediately around the hotel to allow the fire department to respond to the fire, according to a public service announcement the city issued at approximately 10:30 a.m.

There was a disruption to trucked water services because water trucks are involved in the fire response, the city said. It also asked people to conserve water.

By 12:30 on Saturday afternoon, the city reported that water truck service had returned to normal.

Just before 5 p.m., the city said “the bulk of the firefighting” was complete, but firefighters remained at the scene to monitor for hotspots.

Roadblocks that were set up in the morning were still in place at the end of the day. The large amount of water used by firefighters has made the area unsafe.

The roadblocks were expected to remain in place until early next week, the city said.