Saskatoon Fire - News Releases

At 6:33 a.m. on May 10, 2022, the Saskatoon Fire Department received a 9-1-1 call of a garage on fire in the 1300 block of Avenue B North.  Dispatched to the scene were three fire engines, one ladder truck, a rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  On arrival, the first arriving fire crews reported garbage and the detached garage on fire.  Tactical duties were assigned to the incoming fire crews.  Utility services were shut off for scene safety.  This fire was quickly brought under control at 6:52 a.m.  Our Fire Investigator attended the scene to conduct a cause and origin examination.  Fire crews turned the scene over at 7:36 a.m. to the Fire Investigator and returned to their stations to begin decontaminating equipment and putting the fire apparatus back into full commission to be ready for the next call.

No injuries occurred to civilians or fire personnel as a result of this fire.

The Fire Investigation has concluded.  This fire originated with a couch being set on fire that spread to the garbage bin and garage.  Fire is suspicious and damage is estimated at $50,000.  Follow up will be conducted by the Saskatoon Police Service due to the suspicious nature of the fire.

Friendly reminder from the Saskatoon Fire Department, don't accumulate combustible material around structures.  This is a fire waiting to happen and crimes of opportunity such as arson may occur!  We are proud to serve and protect Saskatoon, thank you and stay safe.

On May 6, 2022 at 5:44 a.m., the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received a report of a structure fire in the 400 block of Avenue R South.  Dispatched to the scene were three fire engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  On arrival, the first arriving fire crew reported heavy smoke showing from the structure.  All incoming fire crews were assigned tactical duties.  An exterior attack on the fire was initiated immediately.  A hydrant was connected and a safety officer was appointed at the fire scene.  Utilities were shut down and utility companies were requested to attend to enhance scene safety.  An interior attack of the fire was initiated and the Fire Investigator was notified to attend.  This fire was brought under control at 7:15 a.m.  

At 7:30 a.m., the SFD Incident Commander began transferring the scene over to our Fire Investigator.  A cause and origin scene examination was conducted.  The Fire Investigator has determined this fire is suspicious, caused approximately $120,000 to the structure, and two points of origin were identified.  Saskatoon Police Service investigator was not able to attend.  The information will be forwarded as soon as practical for the Police Service's follow up.  If you have any information relating to this fire, please call the Saskatoon Police Service at (306) 975-8300.  

Saskatoon residents are expected to receive a notifynow test alert on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

The City of Saskatoon’s public safety alert program, notifynow, is used to notify the public in real-time of a public safety situation. The municipal emergency alert system will be tested at 1:00 p.m. as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.

“Generally, notifynow alerts are only issued when there is an impending, escalating or occurring emergency situation in the city and immediate action needs to be taken,” explains Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management. “Testing the system allows us to ensure the system works as expected.”

In the event of an impending or escalating public safety concern, notifynow will be used to send out a message to subscribers. When signing up, subscribers have the option of receiving messages by:

• SMS text message
• Voice call to a landline
• Voice call to a cell phone
• Email

Subscribers can choose one communication method or all of them.

“We really encourage residents to create an account and provide their contact information for text, email and phone for up to five locations in Saskatoon,” says Goulden-McLeod. “It’s also important for residents to check their profile on notifynow and make sure their information is up to date.”

The national emergency alerting system, Alert Ready, will also be tested Canada-wide on Wednesday, May 4, at 1:55 p.m. The Alert Ready test message will be sent via TV, radio, and compatible wireless devices.

For additional information about Saskatoon’s alert system, visit saskatoon.ca/notifynow.

Emergency Preparedness Week (May 1-7, 2022) is an annual event held across Canada that encourages Canadians to take concrete actions to be better prepared to protect themselves and their families during emergencies. This year’s theme, Be Prepared for Anything emphasizes the importance of planning for the unexpected.

Natural disasters may be beyond our control, but there are ways to reduce the risk and the impact of whatever emergency we might face. Residents and business owners are encouraged to join the Saskatoon Fire Department’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) in becoming prepared.

"For the last two years our focus has been responding to a global pandemic but our work to prepare and respond to other risks in our community has never stopped," explains Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management. "Emergency events can occur at any time. Preparing for an emergency in your home, when you are travelling and in your community is part of taking care of yourself, your family and your community. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the importance of emergency preparedness and responding as a whole community. By taking a few simple steps and being proactive, you can become better prepared to face a range of emergencies."

In order to be prepared, the Saskatoon Fire Department encourages residents to:

• Know the risks – Every community can have different risks. What are the risks for your home, your business, and when you are travelling? Knowing the risks and how to respond are part of being prepared.
• Make a plan – Develop an emergency plan tailored to your family, or your business/workplace. How will you get in touch with each other? Where is the list of emergency phone numbers? Where do you need to go if you need to evacuate your home or business/workplace?
• Get an emergency kit – During an emergency, we will all need some basic supplies. We may need to get by without power or tap water. Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in an emergency.
• Follow trustworthy sources on social media – Examples include Saskatoon Fire Department, Saskatoon Police Service and Saskatoon Emergency Management.
• Sign up for notifynow messages – When a public safety concern arises, notifynow sends public safety messages to residents of Saskatoon via telephone, email or text message with important information on what to do, where to go and what to expect.

For additional information about emergency preparedness, visit: saskatoon.ca/emo. 

Out of concern for public safety, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) will be moving forward with the demolition of 314 2nd Avenue South, formerly known as the Continental Hotel. The demolition of the building will commence today.

A demolition order was issued by SFD back in February 2022. According to the order, “The structure is not being maintained in accordance with Bylaw 8175, The Property Maintenance & Nuisance Abatement for the City of Saskatoon and it constitutes an immediate risk to the life and safety of people in the neighbourhood as well as safety of nearby property. Further, the property owner has failed to remedy this risk over multiple years.”

In February, the owner was directed to:

• Immediately fence off adjacent sidewalk or parking/driving lanes
• Apply for a demolition permit by February 28, 2022
• Disconnect utility services by February 28, 2022
• Apply to have utility services abandoned/retired by March 15, 2022
• Have the appropriate utility company abandon/retire utility services by April 15, 2022
• Demolish the structure by April 15, 2022. An extension until April 22, 2022 was provided.
• Clear the site of rubble, debris or refuse by August 31, 2022

As of April 26, 2022 the structure was still standing with imminent risk and safety concerns.

“We respect the owner’s wishes of wanting to preserve remnants of the building, but it is also our duty to ensure public safety,” says Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer. “The building is beyond repair. It is currently at risk of a partial or full collapse, which is a significant safety risk. The cost to restore its structural integrity exceeds the replacement cost of the structure, which means demolition is the final and only reasonable course of action.”

SFD has had a long history with the building dating back to 2002.

• 2002 – The Fire Inspector at the time identified the interior of the building was dismantled and there were significant structural concerns.
• 2015 – An engineering inspection reported repairs would put the building into a temporary state of “stable condition,” but a permanent plan was deemed necessary.
• 2016 – The SFD did not receive a permanent rehabilitation plan. With no plan in place, SFD was obligated to issue an order in October 2016 requiring another structural assessment with a permanent plan for the structure.
• 2018 – A second engineering assessment occurred in January 2018 confirming the building required repairs to keep the structure stable in the short-term but required a reassessment every three months to monitor its stability. SFD received no further engineering assessments from the owner.
• 2020 – On January 17, SFD issued a demolition order and after that date worked with the property owner and Building Standards to allow the owner a demolition permit.

In more recent years, the SFD has become increasingly concerned about hazards to the public, firefighters or other emergency personnel.

• 2018 – A firefighter experienced a dangerous near miss when responding to a fire inside the building. The firefighter almost fell into the basement through a hole on the main floor, which was the result of temporary work done to the structure.
• 2020 – A caller to 911 reported loose bricks falling from the exterior of the building, nearly missing a cyclist on the ground roughly three stories below. A temporary repair was put in place by an engineer to prevent the bricks from falling.

The SFD is aware of the building’s history and past discoveries of historical interest related to the property; however, 314, 2nd Avenue South is not included on the Saskatoon Register of Historic Places.

The building will be demolished through the SFD Demolition and Property Remediation Process. SFD is hiring a contractor to complete the demolition. Currently, all dismantling of the building has been immediately ceased and the site is being cleared of all equipment and staff. Costs incurred by the demolition will be charged back to the property taxes.