Residents of Aklavik are told they can resume normal power consumption after a fire at the power plant caused blackouts and put the community in a state of emergency.
An update was posted to NTPC’s social media feed this morning.
”Last evening, a fire started in a module on the site of the power plant,” reads the announcement. “The Aklavik Fire Department responded and was able to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading. There have been no reported injuries. The main plant was not directly impacted by the fire and power supply in the community remains stable. Residents can resume regular power consumption as there is sufficient generation capacity available to meet electricity demand.
“The module that was damaged in the fire houses the variable speed generator (VSG), which was installed several years ago as part of a pilot project to assess the effectiveness of new technology at reducing diesel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. An assessment of damage to the module and its contents is underway. An investigation into the cause of the fire has also begun.
“NTPC wants to thank the Aklavik Fire Department for their quick and effective response to this situation.”
Last night, residents of Aklavik were asked to preserve power after a fire at the power plant resulted in several power outages throughout the evening and put the hamlet in emergency mode.
Mayor Jordan McLeod said on the radio that a small fire damaged one of the power plant’s generators. A team was dispatched from Inuvik to monitor the situation.
“They did lose one engine,” McLeod said. “We do have power that’s stable right now, but just be aware that if it does go out again it may not come back on for a bit.”
McLeod added he had reached out to Municipal and Community Affairs to begin a state of Emergency.
“Go warm up your houses, keep in touch with family and make sure everybody is okay,” he said, adding he would be making any needed updates on the Aklavik radio station, on 106.9 FM.
An announcement from NTPC earlier that night on its social media feed said the hamlet’s fire department quickly resolved the fire situation.
“There has been a series of outages in the community tonight,” said the announcement. “An emergency situation at the local power plant has been resolved thanks to the community’s fire department. Power has been restored and generation is currently stable. Additional staff from NTPC have arrived in Aklavik to provide assistance. Thank you to customers for your patience and understanding. “
Moose Kerr School, the Hamlet Office and the Post Office announced they will be closed tomorrow to help preserve power.