Boat on Boot Lake shore in Inuvik destroyed by overnight fire

Inuvik firefighters were called out to Boot Lake park after a fire was reported July 15 at 3 a.m.

Town of Inuvik fire chief Cynthia Hammond wrote in a statement the fire department sent three vehicles and seven firefighters to the scene, where a wooden boat on the shoreline was ablaze.

Most of the boat had been destroyed by the time the fire department arrived. Hammond said they put out the remaining flames before the fire spread to the treeline.

No one was injured in the fire and no people were found near the site. However, Hammond said the fire was human-caused and under investigation. Anyone with information on who started the fire is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-847.

"Members of the public and parents with children who use the nearby playground are asked to avoid the area immediately surrounding the debris until such time it can be cleared," said Hammond.