Man dies in overnight shack fire in Iqaluit

RCMP in Iqaluit say a man died in a shack fire Friday.

In a news release, RCMP say they received a report about the fire behind the elder's residence on the beach shortly after midnight.

"Iqaluit fire department was already on scene and quickly extinguished the fire," the statement said.

The man was found and removed from the shack and provided medical care, RCMP say. He was then taken by ambulance to the Qikiqtani General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In a statement Friday, the city said 10 firefighters attended the fire.

Shack fires aren't uncommon in Iqaluit. With a lack of affordable housing, many goto the beach totake shelter for the night.

In 2019, three shacks were lost to fire over the course of one weekend. In 2018, two people were injured in a shack firethat took 12 firefighters several hours to extinguish. That same year, five people in two families were displaced when their structure went up in flames.

Two people were also injured in a shack fire in 2015. At that time, the city's fire chief said they responded to shack fires at the beach every six weeks in the winter.

Earlier this month, the mayor and deputy mayor, as well as representatives for theQikiqtani Inuit Association, which manages the beach, walked the beach to clean up garbage and survey the area. They talked about coming up with a joint plan for how to manage the area.

There's no word on what caused the fire Friday. The statement says Iqaluit RCMP are investigating, along with the Office of the Nunavut Fire Marshal.

RCMP did not identify the man who died.

Anyone who may have witnessed the fire is asked to call Iqaluit RCMP at 867- 979-1111.