As RCMP officers continue to investigate a deadly fire that claimed the lives of a man and woman over the weekend on Misipawistik Cree Nation, family members say the tragedy could have been prevented.

The community is located next to the town of Grand Rapids on the northwest shore of Lake Winnipeg, about 400 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

Police said they received a report of a fire at a residential trailer early Saturday morning around 1:50 a.m. Upon arrival, the trailer was fully engulfed in flames and was quickly destroyed by the fire.

Bobby Ballantyne has identified his mother Michelle Cook, 50, as one of the victims.

“My mother was a kind woman. She would do anything for her four children and her grandchildren,” said Ballantyne. “She was a nice humble woman that always greeted you with a smile.”

Wayne Scott has identified his brother, David Scott, 48, as the other victim. He said he was a father of four and a grandfather.

Scott said his brother was kind, humble and loved to laugh.

“It’s just tragic and it didn’t need to happen,” said Scott.

Fire crews never attended blaze

Scott said he called the local fire department and left a message, but no one showed up.

CTV News has learned no one with the town's volunteer fire department was immediately available to respond.

In the meantime, neighbours tried to cut holes in the structure and feel around for the couple inside the burning trailer, he said.

“He was in love with his girlfriend Michelle. And they were close. They were inseparable. They were always together,” said Scott.

“Michelle and David were wonderful people,” said Heidi Cook, councillor, Misipawistik Cree Nation.

“It’s definitely a tragedy that’s affected the whole community,” she said.

Town of Grand Rapids mayor Robert Buck confirms to CTV News the fire department never attended on Saturday. He said an internal investigation is underway to determine what happened and what can be done to fix it.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. A provincial spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon the fire remains under investigation by the Office of the Fire Commissioner and RCMP.

Trailers being phased out: Councillor

Ballantyne and members of Scott’s family said the couple had been using their oven and elements to heat their trailer. Scott’s family members tell CTV News the trailer’s windows were boarded up, and the front door was difficult to open and close properly.

“It was horrible. Not somewhere where I would anyone to live,” said Ballantyne. “My mom would come over and tell me about the problems with their place.”

“I don’t know the specifics. We have staff in operation and maintenance who check furnaces, to try and keep things working, but with this cold it might not be enough,” said councillor Heidi Cook.

Cook said the First Nation is working to phase out trailers. Family said the one Michelle Cook and David Scott were living in was about 25 years old.

Housing protest ended just hours before deadly fire

Earlier this week Ballantyne staged a protest outside the band office to raise awareness about the need for better housing. Ballantyne said he spent more than 60 hours outside. He looks after six children and said he doesn’t have a place to live in his community and asked leaders to set up a housing committee.

“I wanted fair distribution of houses among band members. Also a bunch of people came up to me and told me about their living situations. They ask for repairs for so many years and they weren’t able to get repairs. So I want to make sure the people who take care of their house would get repairs as needed,” said Ballantyne.

Councillor Heidi Cook said after meeting with Ballantyne they’ve agreed to start a housing committee which will allow more direct input from community members.

Scott said leaders need to prioritize.

“They need to think of the peoples’ safety before budgets, departments like education could have stopped this, how to escape. We don’t even have fire extinguishers, or fire detectors,” he said.

Councillor Cook said there are a lot of what ifs, but she doesn’t think a housing committee would have prevented the tragedy and hopes the committee and council can work together for prevention.

“Those are the things that kind of tear you apart, you think you know, is there something you could have done, or something that could have changed the outcome, because this is absolutely [the] worst thing that could have happened,” she said.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada said Tuesday said officials have been in contact with the First Nation to offer support.

“As part of its annual funding for fire protection services on reserve, Indigenous Services Canada provided $19,230 to Misipawistik Cree Nation for a municipal services agreement with the Town of Grand Rapids. Under this agreement, the Town of Grand Rapids’ fire department provides fire protection to First Nation members living on-reserve,” the statement said.

“We are engaging with First Nations and other partners to develop an effective, long-term, distinct First Nations housing strategy that is founded in principles of respect, cooperation, and partnership. This engagement will inform proposed options for the on-reserve housing reform in order to better respond to First Nation housing needs and aspirations.”