Saskatoon Fire - News Releases

At around 12:49 a.m. on August 1, 2020, the Saskatoon Fire Department received many 911 calls reporting a vehicle on fire near a building in the 500 block of 5th Avenue North. One fire engine, one fire investigation unit, and one battalion chief responded. 

Arriving on scene in less than four minutes, firefighters immediately deployed a hose line and used the fire engine's on-board water supply to extinguish a fully involved GMC truck. Fire crews searched the truck and confirmed there to be no occupants inside. Minor heat damage occurred to the building as a result of this fire; the truck will be a total loss.

A fire investigator has confirmed the fire to have originated in the engine compartment and has estimated the damage to be approximately $15,000. 

At approximately 8:53 a.m. on July 30, 2020, the Saskatoon Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a grass fire in the area of the Saskatchewan Railway Museum, near Highway 60 south of Saskatoon; the caller reported the fire to be moving towards nearby structures. One fire engine, two brush trucks, two water tankers, and one battalion chief were committed to this incident. 

Upon arrival, firefighters immediately began work to extinguish the fire and protect surrounding exposures; using water tankers to establish a water supply on scene and moving across the rural terrain in brush trucks, fire crews extinguished multiple small fires in the area. Firefighters concluded their work on scene by about 11:38 a.m. when the commanding fire officer declared the loss to be stopped. No structures or museum artifacts were lost as a result of the fire and no injuries occurred.

As this area is outside of the Saskatoon Fire Department's investigative jurisdiction, a cause and origin determination was not conducted.

At approximately 9:52 p.m. on July 29, 2020, the Saskatoon Fire Department was alerted by both an alarm company and a 911 call to reports of water flowing into the parking garage of a multi-unit residential structure in the 400 block of Avenue C South. One fire engine was dispatched to investigate the concern. 

Arriving in less than one minute, firefighters found an audible alarm sounding, a large evacuation in progress, and a significant amount of water flowing into the parking garage. As fire crews worked to find the source of the water, fire dispatchers began locating information about the building as well as its fire suppression equipment and servicing history. Firefighters confirmed the water to be coming from a compromised water main and requested the attendance of utility technicians from the City of Saskatoon. Most residents were able to safely remove their vehicles from the parking garage without issue while the water was being shut off. 

The commanding fire officer informed the building manager that a fire watch would be required due to the fire suppression equipment and alarm panel being out of commission. Fire crews left the scene with the building manager at about 11:44 p.m. and returned to their stations to continue serving Saskatoon. A damage estimate for this incident is not available.

At approximately 10:07 p.m. on July 29, 2020, the Saskatoon Fire Department received a 911 call reporting the anchor of an inflatable craft to have become entangled in the river with three persons on board the craft; as fire dispatchers obtained additional information, one person was reported to have gone missing from the craft. One fire engine, one water rescue unit, one public affairs official, and one battalion chief were committed to this incident.

The water rescue unit was deployed onto the South Saskatchewan River from an emergency boat launch and immediately advanced towards the area; quickly locating two persons and their craft, fire crews communicated with members of the Saskatoon Police Service who had located and safely retrieved the third person from this group near the shoreline of the Gordie Howe Bridge.

No injuries were sustained as a result of this incident. The water rescue unit has since been removed from the water and all fire personnel have returned to continue serving the residents and visitors of Saskatoon.

At approximately 6:37 p.m. on July 29, 2020, the Saskatoon Fire Department received several 911 calls reporting visible smoke and flames coming from the roof of the Confederation Mall, located at 300 Confederation Drive. Three fire engines, one rescue unit, one aerial ladder truck, one fire investigation unit, and one battalion chief were dispatched for response. 

Firefighters arrived on scene in just over one minute to find a significant amount of smoke in the area of the roof. Immediately making entry to the commercial structure, fire crews located the fire and extinguished it in less than 20 minutes from the time of the first fire engine arriving on scene; both a fire extinguisher and a fire hose flowing water were used in this fire's extinguishment. Firefighters were confident in confirming that the fire had not extended into the structure by about 7:06 p.m. and began concluding their work on scene. No injuries to fire or civilian personnel were reported as a result of this incident. 

A fire investigator is conducting a cause and origin investigation to identify the specifics of this fire; the damage has not yet been assessed.