Residents of Aklavik are 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 has been 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 tonight 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.