Fire that destroyed Baker Lake municipal garage under investigation
No injuries reported as RCMP, Nunavut Fire Marshal look into into early-morning blaze Sunday
Flames engulf the Baker Lake municipal maintenance garage in the early hours Sunday. The fire destroyed the building, and the cause remains under investigation. (Photo courtesy of Nunavut RCMP)
A fire early Sunday destroyed Baker Lake’s municipal maintenance garage, the second garage fire in the community in recent years.
RCMP officers noticed the fire at around 5:25 a.m. and alerted the volunteer fire department, the RCMP said in a news release Monday. Firefighters responded, but the building couldn’t be saved.
No injuries or missing persons were reported.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The Nunavut Fire Marshal’s office is investigating, with assistance from the RCMP.
Sheldon Dorey, Baker Lake’s senior administrative officer, issued a statement at 2:30 p.m. Sunday advising residents municipal water services were delayed. They resumed later that afternoon.
“We encourage residents to conserve water for the next day or two due to the pending weather and staff needing to rework schedules,” Dorey said in his statement.
He asked residents to avoid 7th Street, where crews might still be working, and to drive with caution on 1st Avenue, which has since reopened.
Authorities are asking anyone with information on the fire to contact Baker Lake RCMP.
Sunday’s fire comes just over six years after a blaze destroyed another municipal garage in Baker Lake on Jan. 29, 2019.
That fire, which also broke out in the early morning. It consumed the municipality’s six-bay garage and destroyed much of its fleet, including six of its seven sewage trucks, two front-end loaders, a dump truck and a garbage truck.
While the fire marshal investigated that incident, no criminal activity was suspected.
Has anyone else noticed how many fires in Nunavut seem to start after midnight? This is the second garage to burn in Baker Lake, and it’s hard not to question what’s going on. Whether these fires are accidental or deliberate, they’re having a serious impact on the community. If arson is involved, I hope authorities are investigating. And if there’s another cause, we need to understand why and find ways to prevent more losses. Something doesn’t feel right.