Iqaluit firefighters respond to 3 separate fires over weekend

It was a busy weekend for firefighters in Iqaluit.

The city's fire department responded to one fire on Saturday night and two separate fires early Sunday morning.

"As a result of our city's fire department quick responses, the multiple fires were quickly under control and we are relieved that there were no serious injuries," Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern stated in a news release from the city.

According to thatnews release, the fire department responded to the first fire, located on the beach, around 9:15 p.m. Saturday. It says there were "two shacks fully engulfed and one shack with one side on fire."

By 10:08 p.m. the fires were extinguished. Three shacks and equipment were lost as a result.

The second fire was reported at approximately 5:26 a.m. Sunday,near the old dump in Apex. The release says the fire truck could not reach the area due to blocked access, so seven firefighters attended the fire by foot and used fire extinguishers to suppress it. No injuries were reported.

The third fire was reported Sundayaround 6:25 a.m. at a residential multiplex located at 5324 Lower Plateau.

The release says the fire department "executed a quick exterior offensive attack to suppress the fire." A local contractor also provided an excavator to help suppress the fire. The fire was extinguished around 9:45 a.m.

According to an initial assessment of the damage, four of the 10 residential units were lost. One minor injury was also reported.

The release says the cause of the fire at the multiplex is under investigation and the property is off limits to residents and the public until further notice.