House fire in Pikangikum First Nation claims one life

Tim Brody - Editor

“One adult has been confirmed deceased and 11 others, including children, are safe after a devastating house fire on Tuesday in Pikangikum First Nation,” the Community shared in a July 7 media release.
According to Pikangikum First Nation, “The fire was reported to police around 7:30 a.m. on the morning of July 4, 2023. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were on scene within minutes employing extinguishers from the exterior to buy time for fire response. Pikangikum Peacekeepers and firefighters arrived and contained the fire within 30 minutes with the structure remaining fully intact.”
Quick action between the Ontario Provincial Police and Pikangikum Peacekeepers resulted in the fire being extinguished by 9:30 a.m.
“This is another tragedy,” said Chief Shirley Lynne Keeper. “The fast-action response from all of those involved saved many lives, but sadly, we have lost another community member. This continues to affect us greatly, impacting every one of us. We appreciate the support of IFNA who has arrived in community and been working with government agencies to pursue sustainable funding for our community responders and to ensure supports are in place so we can prevent experiencing such loss.”
Nick Rhone, IFNA Integrated Emergency Services Director & Regional Fire Rescue Chief added “Since the last fatal house fire, we have continued to work in partnership with the community, Indigenous Services Canada, the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal, the Indigenous Fire Marshal Service, and the OPP to improve fire safety and response including ongoing smoke alarm installations.”
Pikangikum First Nation shared that the investigation into the fire is ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available.
The Community asks that everyone respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.