Fires destroy northwestern Ont. First Nation band office, home
Far North Police are investigating a fire that destroyed the North Spirit Lake First Nation band office on April 4, 2024. (Facebook/AJ Mendoza)
Far North Police are investigating fires that destroyed the North Spirit Lake First Nation band office and an abandoned home in the remote northwestern Ontario community.
The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) said it first received a call for service around 3:40 a.m. on Thursday morning, in a news release Friday.
"Police on scene observed a fire from the community's band office,” said police.
“At this time, police also learned of another structural fire in the community. Police arrived on scene to an abandoned home completely engulfed in flames on Airport Road."
NAPS said that both buildings are a complete loss.
Far North Police are investigating a fire that destroyed the North Spirit Lake First Nation band office on April 4, 2024. (Facebook/AJ Mendoza)
Police said no injuries have been reported in connection to the fires.
North Spirit Lake First Nation is a remote Oji-Cree community with about 400 residents located roughly 530 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay on Treaty 5 territory.
NAPS said the investigation is ongoing.
“Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding an early Thursday morning fire at the North Spirit Lake band office,” reads the release.
“No more band office in North Spirit Lake,” said area resident AJ Mendoza on social media Thursday.
“Crazy how you can see it from my end of the community.”
Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa shared a different post on social media about the band office fire.
"The band office in North Spirit Lake burned down,” Mamakwa said, in the post.
“This is a huge loss for the community as most of the programs are administered from the building."
Four devastating fires in as many months in northwestern First Nation Communities
This is the fourth major fire in First Nation communities in northwestern Ontario since the start of the year.
On Jan. 25, a fire destroyed the only school in Eabametoong First Nation displacing about 300 students from kindergarten to Grade 9. Then on Feb. 1, a residential fire in the remote community of Peawanuck killed two people and sent three others to the hospital, and on March 2, the Cat Lake First Nation lost its only health-care hub when a blaze destroyed its nursing station.
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