YK firefighters battle blazing car in Liquor Store parking lot

The NWT Office of the Fire Marshal says Tuesday’s car fire outside Yellowknife’s Liquor Store was not suspicious.

In an email, a representative from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (Maca), told Cabin Radio that video surveillance had ruled out arson in the fire and showed it had started in the dashboard of the car.

The fire marshal does not investigate fires involving the engine compartment and dashes of vehicles as all evidence is typically destroyed, the department said.

Amid the downpour on Tuesday afternoon, a plume of black smoke rose from Yellowknife’s downtown core. 

RCMP officers blocked off sections of 49 Street and 51 Avenue as firefighters battled the blazing car in the Liquor Store parking lot. A small crowd of onlookers watched on.

Tammy Boulet, manager of the Liquor Store, said she was downstairs in the store when she heard someone yelling to call 911.

“I ran upstairs and our back shipping door was open and I just saw that car was completely engulfed,” she told Cabin Radio.

She said the owner of the vehicle had come into the store saying his car was on fire and stayed inside while waiting for help to arrive.

According to Yellowknife RCMP, police received a call about a vehicle on fire around 12:54pm. When officers arrived, the vehicle was “engulfed in flames.”

When Cabin Radio arrived on the scene around 1:10pm, the flames appeared to have been extinguished. Firefighters were still working on the smouldering remains of the vehicle.

The City of Yellowknife’s Fire Division said firefighters were on scene for approximately one hour.

The flames appeared to be out shortly after 1pm. Emily Blake/Cabin Radio

RCMP and the fire division both say that no one was injured in the fire.

RCMP say they have closed the investigation into the incident and the fire was deemed not criminal in nature.

Maca is reminding residents to follow all maintenance and inspection requirements for their vehicles.