Two youths seriously hurt in early morning fire in Natuashish

Two youths were hurt in an early morning fire in Natuashish, Labrador, on Monday.

The fire destroyed one house and damaged a neighbouring one.

J.B. Tshakapesh told CBC News the fire started in an abandoned house next door to his home. Tshakapesh said he saw a group of young people in the house around 5:30 a.m.

"The police was already there with the … teenagers," he said.

"There was a young child lying on the ground and I heard he was burned … He was on a stretcher when they took him."

The RCMP said Monday afternoon that two boys — one 11 years old, the other 17 — suffered serious injuries in the fire and have been sent to St. John's for medical treatment.

Tshakapesh said the abandoned house is known to be used by young people for sniffing gas. 

"The gas sniffers usually occupy the house in the nights and early in the mornings," he said.

Faulty hydrant

The fire hydrant across the street wasn't working, according to more than one eyewitness, so volunteer firefighters had to drag the hose to another hydrant to be able to fight the fire.

Eyewitnesses and pictures show the house was completely destroyed. Tshakapesh said his house was damaged by the heat from the fire.

"The plastic windows, they almost burned, it was too hot," he said.