Saskatoon Fire - News Releases

At 2:59 p.m. on May 13, 2022, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting smoke coming from a house in the 200 block of Avenue H South.  Three fire engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief were dispatched.  At 3:03 p.m., fire crews arrived and reported smoke showing.  At 3:04 p.m., firefighters began extinguishing the fire.   A fire hydrant was connected to our engine to provide continuous water supply.  Tactical duties were assigned to the fire crews.  Natural gas and electrical were shut off for safety reasons at the fire scene.  

Entry into the basement of the house was made by fire crews at 3:10 p.m.  Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and high heat.  There was zero visibility.  The basement became fully involved.  At 3:18 p.m., fire crews backed out of the basement and a suppression tool using an aerosol system was deployed to assist with extinguishment.  Using a basement window at 3:21 p.m., the suppression tool was activated and placed in the basement.  It requires three to four minutes to work without water or ventilation being applied.  This suppression tool interrupts the chemical chain reaction of fire by suppressing the flames and bringing down the heat.  This tool does not completely extinguish the fire but changes the fire's environment.  At 3:25 p.m., extinguishment continued by firefighters from the exterior.  The fire was brought under control at 4:28 p.m.

Four occupants were inside at the time of the fire and had evacuated prior to SFD's arrival.  One of the occupants was treated by the ambulance service for smoke inhalation.  As a precaution, homes on either side were evacuated.  

At 5:18 p.m., the fire scene was turned over to the Fire Investigator.  There were no smoke alarms in place.  SFD will follow up and require records.  The Fire Investigator will work with the Saskatoon Police Service during this investigation.  Damage is estimated at $50,000.  An update will follow once the fire investigation has been concluded.

At 3:07 a.m. on May 13, 2022, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received a 9-1-1 call of a garage on fire in the 600 block of Avenue K South. Dispatched to the scene were three engines, one ladder truck, a rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  

On arrival, crews observed a garage fully engulfed in flames. The firefighters began extinguishing the fire and checked for persons inside the structure. The fire was brought under control by 3:20 a.m. and crews confirmed there was no one inside. 

The crew continued to assess the structure for hotspots and declared the fire fully extinguished at 4:15 a.m.  

SFD’s Fire Investigator attended the scene to conduct a fire scene examination and determine the cause and origin of the fire. The Fire Investigator determined the fire started inside the garage and deemed the cause of the fire to be suspicious. Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) was called to the scene for further investigation. Fire damage is estimated at $30,000.

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.

At 3:27 p.m. on April 22, 2022, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received a report of an attached garage to a home on fire in the 1100 Block of Hargreaves Avenue.  Dispatched were three fire engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  First arriving fire crews reported seeing smoke from the garage.  All incoming crews were assigned tactical duties.  Natural gas and electrical service were shut off for safety reasons.  Crew initiated extinguishment through a door serving the garage.  Fire Investigator was dispatched to the scene.  Fire crews knocked down the fire and checked for hot spots and extension of fire in the attic.  This fire was quickly brought under control.   Fire crews are packing up equipment and returning to their respective stations where they will clean and decontaminate equipment; restock and repack fire engines and trucks.  

No one was home at the time of the fire.  No injuries to civilians or firefighters occurred as a result of this fire.

SFD's Incident Commander is in the process of turning the scene over to our Fire Investigator.  The fire scene examination for this fire will begin shortly.  An update with details will be provided once the fire investigation has been concluded.

Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) will be breaking ground for a state-of-the-art fire station along Preston Avenue, near 108th Street. The new station will replace the 56-year-old Fire Station No. 5 currently located on Central Avenue in Sutherland.

The relocation comes as a result of a review of SFD’s operations in 2014 that led to the development of a new service model to improve the fire service’s travel times across the city. The model aims to ensure SFD’s delivery of services is done in the most effective and efficient way possible as the City keeps an eye on the future and how to provide emergency response service to a city of half a million residents.

“The new location was selected with the aim of increasing both safety and efficiency,” says Fire Chief Morgan Hackl. "Computer-generated mapping revealed that relocating Station No. 5 closer to the intersection of College Drive and Preston Avenue will put our fire service in a better position to meet the four-minute travel time set out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and better utilize resources.”

With the relocation of Station No. 3 in 2018 and now Station No. 5, Hackl says a tenth fire station once earmarked for Stonebridge won’t be necessary – saving the City $6 million in construction costs and $3 million each year in operating costs.

Once fully commissioned, the 10,000 square foot (930 square metre), two-storey fire station will be equipped with two bays that will house one operational fire engine and another two reserve apparatus. The station will be staffed with a fire crew consisting of up to two firefighter-paramedics, two firefighters and one officer, 24 hours per day. An additional two Fire Inspectors will also be present during daytime hours.

Another goal of the new Station No. 5 is to strengthen neighbourhood amenities for the wider community.

“As the city grows, our Fire Department has done important work to reorganize our fire stations,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “This helps ensure we can keep our growing neighbourhoods protected in a way that efficiently uses our resources over the long term. This new Fire Station is an example of that. The University has been a great partner in getting this built and we continue to work closely with the University community. This is a great day.”

The building will be furnished with a shared cultural space intended for SFD initiatives, civic departments and the University of Saskatchewan. When available, the shared space will be open to public bookings for community groups.

“We are proud to continue to work in partnership with the City of Saskatoon on a wide variety of projects that help to serve and to give back to the vibrant community that we are all a part of,” says University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff. “The establishment of this new fire station is the latest development in the successful co-operation and collaboration between the city and the university and reinforces our commitment to community, including our Indigenous partners and friends. As we celebrate this important step forward for the city, it is important to recognize that this fire station will be located on Treaty 6 territory and the Homeland of the Métis.”

The new station will be operational by the summer of 2023, at which time the current station on Central Avenue will be decommissioned.

For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/FireStation5.

The fire investigation has concluded and the cause of the fire was determined to be suspicious.  Damage is estimated to the structure at $275,000.  The investigation has been turned over to our partners at the Saskatoon Police Service for their follow up.  If anyone has information relating to this fire, information can be provided to the Police at 306-975-8300.