Iqaluit sees 3 structure fires over past 3 months

There were three fires in Iqaluit in the first three months of 2025, with two resulting in total losses.

Solomon Tagak, the city’s acting fire chief, included the update in his presentation Tuesday to Iqaluit city council.

The most significant fire occurred at Noble House, an apartment building at 1088 Mivvik St., which displaced 36 families.

One other fire destroyed a cabin, Tagak said, and the third damaged an apartment in the city’s 240 block.

He also noted emergency services has responded to a higher volume of calls in the past few months, although he didn’t provide specifics on how much higher that volume is.

From the beginning of the year until March 31, Tagak said, there were 508 calls for service in the city and 313 requests for medevac transport, working out to an average of nine calls per day.

The department has 12 volunteers, but room for 15. There are currently 24 full-time firefighting and emergency response staff. There are also two deputy chief positions, with one vacant.

With the increased call volume, the department is ensuring that two ambulances are always available during the day, Tagak said.

“It’s been a busy two months for me,” he said, adding he’s been working on updating the standard operating guidelines and procedures.

“Some things need to be updated, some things need to be fixed altogether,” he said.

Tagak took the acting fire chief job about two months ago after former fire chief Steve McGean left the position.

As the weather improves, Tagak said, first responders will be focusing on seasonal training such as water rescues.

Deputy Mayor Kimberly Smith thanked Tagak for “stepping up to the plate” and said she had been hearing good things.