An infant and a teenager were sent to hospital with injuries sustained as a result of an apartment fire that drove 49 people out of their homes in Tataskweyak Cree Nation Feb. 11.
A two-year-old boy had burns and a 17-year-old girl was hospitalized for smoke inhalation after she saw smoke coming from the eight-unit building while walking by and helped rescue a family of five from their apartment, CBC reported.
The boy and the teen were airlifted to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg for treatment.
The people displaced by the fire are currently staying in hotels, TCN Chief Taralee Beardy told CBC Feb. 12 but long-term accommodations needs to be arranged.
“We have no housing. We have no place to put them,” Beardy said. “They need a home.”
The fire broke around 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. TCN firefighters responded to the blaze but the First Nation’s fire truck hasn’t been working for more than a month because of mechanical issues, the chief said. Fire crews from Gillam and York Factory First Nation also responded to help contain the fire before it could spread to a neighbouring apartment building.
It took until 3 a.m. to extinguish the fire, York Factory fire department member Roddy Chartrand told the CBC, with crews battling extreme cold that froze fire hydrants. Fire crews returned to the scene later on Sunday after the fire flared up again.
“They managed to get everybody out,” said Chartrand. “Everybody was accounted for. It was a very tense scene when we got there.”
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee said in a Feb. 12 news release that the political advocacy organization, which represents two dozen Northern Manitoba First Nations, including TCN, was offering logistical hlep.
“This is a terrible situation and I offer my heartfelt empathy to the families of this tragedy and the community of Tataskweyak Cree Nation,” Settee said. “MKO is offering our organizational support to our member community to assist them in their hour of need. We understand that the Red Cross has been alerted though that connection with the community has yet to be established as of late Sunday morning. We will remain ready to assist with other matters as they occur.”
TCN chief and council said on their Facebook page Sunday that they had received enough donations of clothing for the 10 displaced families but still needed household items and toiletries. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to accept monetary donations for the families.
