Boarded-up Saskatoon home to be torn down after fire

A boarded-up home that went up in flames early Tuesday morning will be torn down, as it has been structurally compromised by fire, according to the Saskatoon Fire Department.

Crews responded to the fire in the 200 block of Avenue K North just before 4:30 a.m. They found a boarded-up single-family dwelling unit with heavy smoke showing, the fire department said.

Fire crews later identified the source of the fire in the basement, and by 5:23 a.m. the flames had spread to the main floor and attic.

The Saskatoon Fire Department said they’re not able to perform a cause and origin fire scene examination for safety reasons.

The fire resulted in an estimated $200,000 in damage.

“Utilities are being safely removed and the structure will be taken down in a controlled manner by an excavation company later this afternoon. Fencing will be erected around the property to keep person(s) out of the area,” the fire department said in a news release.

According to the Saskatoon Fire Department, once the structure is taken down and the site secured this afternoon, the fire investigator will turn the property over to the property owner.

The investigator will follow up with an order for the property owner to have the debris removed, the foundation hole filled in and the site levelled.

On February 10, a 48-year-old man was shot to death at the house, but Saskatoon police say at this point the fire is not suspicious and they are not involved in the investigation.