Sunday brings another car fire in Yellowknife

The latest in a series of Yellowknife vehicle fires brought emergency responders to the city’s 54 Avenue on Sunday afternoon.

A blue station wagon caught fire shortly after 2pm, two witnesses told Cabin Radio. The fire was quickly brought under control by city firefighters.

No injuries were immediately reported.

The cause of the fire was not clear.

Municipal enforcement and RCMP vehicles blocked off a section of 54 Avenue, which runs between School Draw Avenue and 49 Street, while a fire crew worked on the vehicle.

Sunday’s incident was the third reported Yellowknife vehicle fire in the past three weeks – following fires in a downtown alley and outside the 97 Niven Drive apartment building – and at least the fourth reported so far this year.

There is no suggestion of any connection between the fires.

In January, the City of Yellowknife warned residents of “short circuits, added electrical resistance, and accidental fires” if vehicle-related electrical cords were left damaged or not regularly checked.

“Often multiple heated components, such as battery blankets and interior heaters, are plugged into one block heater cord,” the City wrote in a statement at the time.

“The Yellowknife Fire Division reminds residents to inspect these electrical routes regularly and to consider the draw that the sum of these components puts on their electrical system.

“If the resistance through the cord is too great, cords can heat up and become hazardous.”