Paul Keys got a call about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday that the Jack Goddard Arena in Grand Forks was on fire.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s recreation and facilities manager immediately headed to the building, but wasn’t sure what to expect.
“It was a long drive in,” he said Thursday. “I was preparing for the worst and I’d say what we got dealt instead was far from that.”
When he arrived, Keys was “very much relieved” to discover firefighters had things under control and the building would not be a total loss.
“I was a little bit amazed,” he said. “It’s hard to believe they could get into a wooden structure that was built in the mid-’60s and actually get the fire out fast enough.
“We’re lucky the fire department response was so, so good. They did such a great job of keeping the fire contained as quickly as they did. This just could have been so much worse.”
Nineteen firefighters from Grand Forks and five firefighters from Christina Lake responded. A Facebook comment called them superheroes. Keys agreed.
“Yes, they certainly had the capes on for us,” he said. “What an effort. What a job they do for our communities. This [arena’s] gone without them.”
Keys and another staff member stayed until about 2:30 a.m., answering questions and providing directions.
Assessment work is now underway involving fire inspectors and structural engineers. That will be followed by a major cleanup. Keys said he isn’t sure how big a job that will be or how long it will take, or whether the ice season will be delayed. Ice installation began last week. The ice was about an inch and a quarter thick, with about another quarter inch to be added, he said.
“There was a lot of smoke on that ice yesterday morning, but the ice is fine so far. It’s definitely going to slow our build a little bit, but we’re not expecting to have any big issues.”
Keys said there will be hockey in Grand Forks this season, but it remains to be seen whether the start is delayed.
The arena’s first scheduled event is the Glow Skate on Aug. 26, but it’s not clear yet whether it will be able to go ahead. Keys said they’ll try to give user groups as much notice as possible. A summer camp planned next week using one of the building’s spaces has been cancelled.
The handful of administration staff who normally work in the arena have been moved to the RDKB’s head office while maintenance staff concentrate on airing out the building.
The cause of the fire is undetermined but it is considered suspicious. Fire chief Rich Piché said there were no obvious signs of an electrical problem. He believes the fire started inside, behind a door that is normally locked, possibly on a plastic tarp.
RCMP ask anyone who was in the area at the time to contact them.
