Emergency declared in Attawapiskat after fire
Posted November 23, 2013 2:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ATTAWAPISKAT, Ont. (NEWS1130) – Some residents in the northern Ontario First Nation of Attawapiskat have been flown out after they were forced from their homes by fire.
The Ontario government flew 40 residents out of the remote community to Kapuskasing this afternoon. Another 30 residents are expected to arrive tonight.
A federal MP says a fire that forced about 70 residents from improvised housing in the remote Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario could have easily turned into a disaster.
Charlie Angus, the New Democrat MP for the area, says it’s lucky no one was hurt or killed in the blaze that broke out in a set of inter-connected construction trailers used as makeshift housing.
He says he spoke to community leaders and has been told the unconfirmed source of the fire is believed to be candles used for lighting after storms knocked out electricity.
He says it’s fortunate the fire didn’t occur overnight when occupants were sleeping.
“This was a real fire trap,” Angus said. “DeBeers brought them (the trailers) in as an emergency when we had no place to put people, but they’ve since become permanent.”
In 2011 Attawapiskat became a flashpoint for relations between the Harper government and First Nations after a housing crisis triggered a state of emergency.
