Elder ‘rescued by ladder’ as new Jean Marie River home burns

An 87-year-old Elder had to be rescued from a burning home in Jean Marie River using a ladder on Sunday evening, his brother said.

Andy Norwegian said a fire had started in the only doorway of his brother Billy’s home, a building sent to Jean Marie River as a replacement for a house lost to a major flood in 2021.

Without any other means of leaving, Norwegian said his brother had to be rescued from a window.

“Family members had to get a ladder to the window to get him out, because after the flood, the houses that were provided were built up high with quite a crawl space,” Norwegian told Cabin Radio on Monday.

“And then the windows are set quite high in the building itself, too, so you’re looking at about nine feet of drop from the window.”

Norwegian said his sister, her daughter and granddaughter, who were all in the home visiting at the time, “had difficulty getting out” but made it to safety.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, he said.

In the wake of Sunday’s fire, Norwegian said he had concerns about the safety of replacement homes sent to Jean Marie River by the territorial government.

Billy, he said, was “still in a state of shock and we’re concerned about his health.” A band-owned guest trailer is being used as temporary accommodation, he added.

A GoFundMe online fundraiser has been established.

“With his home completely destroyed, Uncle Billy is without shelter and requires assistance during this incredibly challenging time,” his niece, Angela Canning, wrote. “The fire took everything he owned.”

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs confirmed the Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating Sunday’s fire.

“As this is an active fire investigation, the Office of the Fire Marshal will not be providing any additional details,” a spokesperson said by email.