Puvirnituq water shortage ‘hampered’ firefighters’ efforts, mayor says
No injuries in fire that destroyed a house Saturday
Puvirnituq Mayor Lucy Qalingo says firefighters’ efforts to extinguish a blaze that destroyed a home were “hampered” by the village’s ongoing water shortage. No injuries were reported, but temporary accommodation was needed for the families whose house was destroyed Saturday, the mayor said in a news release. (File photo by Cedric Gallant)
There were no injuries reported in a house fire that destroyed a home in Puvirnituq on Saturday, but the village’s mayor says the community’s ongoing water shortage is one of the factors that “hampered” firefighters’ efforts.
The fire occurred on the same day Puvirnituq’s council declared a state of emergency in response to the water shortage caused by a frozen intake pipe that normally brings water from a nearby river to the local water treatment plant.
The fire department was called to a house fire early on Saturday afternoon. Blizzard conditions, strong winds and “a limited amount of water” made it harder for the fire department to put out the blaze.
The fire and the water shortage prompted the area’s newly elected member of Parliament, Mandy Gull-Masty, to post a message of encouragement on Facebook, saying, “my heart goes out to the community members in Puvirnituq.”
Gull-Masty, who was named Indigenous services minister when Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his cabinet, said all levels of government must “work together to use our tools and resources to make sure communities have access to essential services.”
The community has been experiencing difficulties with water distribution for several weeks due to damage in the water piping system that carries water to the water treatment plant, Mayor Lucy Qalingo said in a news release.
The main pipe that draws water from the nearby river to a water treatment plant has been frozen since mid-March. Municipal water trucks have been drawing water directly and delivering it to homes and buildings in the community of about 2,100 people —the second biggest in the Nunavik region.
Because that trucked water has not been treated, Puvirnituq has been under a boil-water advisory since March. To make matters worse, only three of the municipality’s five trucks are on the road while two await repairs.
Saturday’s fire was extinguished by midnight.
Occupants of the home were not injured but the entire house was destroyed, the release, issued by the Kativik Regional Government on Sunday, said. There was no damage to nearby homes or other buildings.
Temporary accommodations for the families have been arranged.
The fire department is now investigating the cause of the fire, Qalingo said.
It had nothing to do with firefighters exhibiting signs of alcohol impairment. Increasingly so as the day went on. Surely nothing to do with that.