No arrests, charges after Northern United Place dumpster fire

Police in Yellowknife said on Tuesday no arrests or charges had followed what the city’s fire chief termed a suspected arson at Northern United Place last week.

RCMP said their criminal investigation into the January 14 fire had included interviewing a “person of interest” early in the investigation – but no criminal intent could be determined.

Eight firefighters worked for two hours on the fire, which fire chief John Fredericks said was caused by a garbage bag lit on fire and thrown into a garbage chute. “It went down the chute and caught the dumpster on fire in the basement,” he told Cabin Radio at the time.

Ultimately, the cause of the fire will be determined by the NWT Office of the Fire Marshal. No such determination has yet been made.

Fredericks said nobody was injured as a result of the fire. Aurora College was evacuated during the response.

Northern United Place houses Yellowknife’s Aurora College campus as well as 84 affordable rental units and 40 units of student housing.