Early morning fire destroys home in Willow Flats area of Yellowknife

A fire tore through a house in the Willow Flats area of Yellowknife's Old Town early on Tuesday morning.

The fire started sometime before 7 a.m.Neighbourssayresidents of the house were able to escape without injury.

Bystanders said firefighters had trouble getting their water pumps up to pressure Tuesday morning.There are no fire hydrants in the area so crews had to truck in water to battle the blaze.

Chris Bromley, the operator of a water delivery service, helped battle the fire with his truck. He said firefighters were grateful for his help, but ultimately asked him to leave for safety reasons.

He says his longtime friend Les Rocher a well-known local real estate developer who owns many properties in Yellowknife owned the house.

His sister, Jeannie Rocher, confirmed it was her brother's home and that he lived there.

When reached by CBC News, Les Rochersaidhe has too much grief in front of him right now to comment on the fire, or how it was handled.

The city's fire chief says the fire did not spread to nearby homes.