Inuvik Warming Centre was burned to the ground in a Nov. 27 fire.
No injuries were reported and the building was empty when the fire started at approximately 6 p.m.
Firefighters worked throughout the night to put out the fire before it could spread to other nearby buildings, which included the NTPC Power Station, Hawks Supply, the Inuvik Liquor Store and the Innovate Makerspace.
Housing Minister Paulie Chinna has announced the Inuvik Homeless Shelter will provide places for those displaced by the fire until suitable housing can be found, and the old Inuvik Warming Shelter building on Berger St. will be put back into operation in the interim.
Power and internet outages were reported as a result of the fire. Mike Zubko Airport and the west side of Inuvik were without power for up to an hour.
Eyewitnesses have told Inuvik Drum this was the second time in two nights the fire department had to visit the Warming Shelter. The cause of the fire is currently not known.
A gaping hole has been burned through the building and the fire department deployed its ladder truck to attack the fire from above. Much of the interior was also burned and the exterior is covered in ice.
More to come.
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