Blaze rips through Saskatoon residential building
A blaze destroyed two units at a residential building in the city's Fairhaven neighbourhood early Monday morning.
Just before 1:30, Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received multiple 911 calls reporting a fire at a four-unit building in the 200 block of Camponi Place.
Rodney Calett lives in the building; he said he and his family were fast asleep.
"We just woke up and they're like 'your house is on fire,'" Calett told CTV News.
Once Calett, his mother and three sisters were safely outside, he said he could see "huge flames coming up over the top of the roof."
Upon arriving, firefighters began working to extinguish the fire while crews searched unaffected units to make sure there was no one inside, according to SFD.
By the time firefighters had arrived on scene, flames had engulfed the rear part of the building, SFD said in a news release.
After the blaze was brought under control, firefighters spent the morning monitoring for hotspots. The fire was declared extinguished at 8:48 a.m.
There were no injuries reported.
The fire was contained to two units in the building.
It caused an estimated $700,000 in damage, according to the department.
The blaze is still under investigation.
Ryan Wandler says he was woken up at 1 a.m. when he smelled smoke. He opened the front door of his apartment and said he saw flames wanting to come in.
Wandler says he lost everything in the fire.
‘It’s kind of hard to process right now … too many mixed emotions right now but the (valuables) are something you’ll never get back,” he told CTV News.
(Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News)
Wandler says he was able to walk through his unit with a fire inspector Tuesday morning and managed to find his AirPods which he says are his favourite and “couldn’t live without.”
Overall, Wandler says he’s glad no one was injured. He says he’s waiting for his insurance company to call and will be staying with his sister in the next few days.
“I’ve only been on one hour of sleep and yeah, it’s been hectic.”
--With files from Ryan Fletcher
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.