Roof fire caused by spark from torch

KIRSTEN MURPHY

A fire Monday evening on the roof of the Store House Bar and Grill, the building meant to replace the Tulugaq Bar, caused $2,000 in structural damage.

Fire Chief Cory Chegwyn said Nunavut Construction Corporation workers were on the roof of the one-storey building when the blaze started around 7 p.m.

“It looks like a spark or an ember from a (propane) torch ignited some building materials,” Chegwyn said.

A small area of insulation, particle board and plywood needed to be replaced. The repairs were expected to be complete by the end of the week.

Before firefighters arrived, a construction worker attempted to quench the flames with a hand-held extinguisher. But high winds kept the fire going until a water truck arrived.

It took 16 firefighters and 200 gallons of water to extinguish the fire.

No one was injured. However, residents of the adjacent high rise apartment building spilled into the parking lot at the sound of the building’s fire alarm. Smoke filtered into the intake system and triggered the alarm.

“There was some smoke in the other buildings but it dissipated fairly quickly,” Chegwyn said.

The mishap is not expected to delay the opening of the new bar, scheduled for next summer.