The owner of trailer in Takhini is suing the City of Whitehorse over a fire that destroyed his property.
Tynan Aubichon filed the lawsuit May 15 in Yukon Supreme Court seeking general and special damages from the city.
Back on Aug. 20, 2016, the Whitehorse Fire Department responded to a small electrical fire at Aubichon’s trailer at around 4:28 p.m.
Within five minutes the firefighters were on the scene, but they exhausted the water supply in one of the pump trucks within minutes, the lawsuit reads.
“Subsequently, the firefighters connected one of the pump trucks to the surrounding fire hydrants but there was inadequate water supply and water flowing from the fire hydrants,” the lawsuit alleges.
“This resulted in a delay of approximately 20 minutes before there was sufficient water for the firefighters to use to suppress the fire.”
But by that time, the fire had spread to the entire trailer and the property was completely destroyed.
Aubichon claims it was the city’s responsibility to ensure the pump trucks had enough water, that the fire hydrants were in working order, to ensure repairs when necessary and to tell landowners that fire hydrants near their properties were their responsibility.
The city, Aubichon alleges, breached all those responsibilities.
Aubichon claims the fire resulted in economic loss from the destruction of the property and the cleanup fees and pad fees imposed by the Takhini Mobile Park. He is also asking Yukon Supreme Court to order the city to reimburse his legal fees.
None of these allegations have been proven in court.
The city hadn’t filed a statement of defence by press time.
Contact Pierre Chauvin at pierre.chauvin@yukon-news.com