Skip to content

Blaze at abandoned building being investigated

A blaze that broke out inside an abandoned downtown building Tuesday night is being investigated by the territory's fire marshal.

After noticing flames inside the vacant 5117 51 Street building – formerly home to Diamond Cabs – a witness reported the blaze to Yellowknife Fire Division (YKFD) around 10:30 p.m., stated a news release from the city Thursday.

A “full group alert” was issued, with all off-duty and on-call members – a total of 11 personnel – arriving at the scene.

A fire was observed in the building's front room. The rear door was found to be open. Firefighters removed the windows to quell the blaze.

Brendan Burke/NNSL photo.
Red tape cordons off the an abandoned building, located on 51 Street, that caught ablaze Tuesday night. The fire, the second in an abandoned structure since June, prompted a “full group alert.”

No one was inside the building and there were no reports of injuries.

RCMP and MED were also on site to assist with traffic control.

The fire marks the second blaze at an abandoned city building in as many months.

In June, a longstanding structure – one of the first houses in Yellowknife's downtown – was gutted after a roaring fire ripped through the building in the middle of the night.

The fire was deemed suspicious and the fire marshal continues to investigate its cause.