FNTI airport hangar, aircraft destroyed by fire

Multiple fire departments were called to the First Nations Technical Institute on Airport Road in Tyendinaga on the evening of Thursday, Feb 24, 2022 after the hangar at the Mohawk Airfield at Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory became fully engulfed in fire. According to FNTI, efforts to extinguish the fire remain ongoing on Friday morning.

In addition to Mohawk and Tyendinaga firefighters, crews from Deseronto, Greater Napanee, and Belleville fire departments also responded.

According to the school, the adjacent buildings (Student Residence, Aviation Simulator Building and Indigenous Learning Centre) were impacted by the heat from the fire, but did not appear to be seriously damaged.

“All staff and students were successfully evacuated from the premises and no injuries were reported at this time. Students who are living on site have been evacuated to offsite premises and are safe,” the school said in a statement.

FNTI said that the nine students currently living in the residence building are temporarily being housed in a local hotel.

According to staff, there were about ten aircraft inside the hangar at the time of the fire, including one brand new airplane. The extent of the loss is expected to be in the millions of dollars.