Fire rips through Saskatoon apartment building overnight
A major fire ripped through a three-story Saskatoon apartment building in the 300 block of 108th Street W overnight on Saturday.
The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) was on the scene before 1 a.m. Saturday where the wood frame construction with the roof was fully engulfed in fire, a SFD news release said.
Fire crews helped rescue multiple people inside the units. An updated news release from the department says no injuries for fatalities occurred as a result from the fire.
The fire investigator has determined the cause of the fire was accidental and started because smoking materials were improperly disposed of. The fire originated in the northwest corner of the ground floor outside of the building.
Damage is estimated to be around $5 million.
Adele Freimark lives next door and says she couldn’t fall asleep because every time she closed her eyes she could only see one thing.
“I just saw flames ... almost a dream," Freimark said.
Jaret Gentner lives roughly half a block away from the condo. He was watching TV in his basement when he heard his wife telling him to come upstairs. Within minutes, thick smoke turned into “hand-sized” embers flying off the roof. So he put on some coveralls and grabbed as many garden hoses as he could to try and help.
"It looked like the fires in the movie when they have the firestorms that have Armageddon. There were just big chunks of embers laying everywhere still burning.”
Gentner worked to soak his neighbors property and his own backyard. It wasn't until he got inside over an hour later when he realized one of the flying embers burned his neck.
Owen McKenzie lives next door and says the situation could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for people across the street alerting people inside telling them to get out as fast as they could.
“We found our way out, but it was the kind of thing where you know what was happening, sort of, but you’re not sure," he said.
McKenzie thanked the police and firefighters for their quick work to get everyone out and manage the situation as best as possible. He also thanked residents across the street who offered blankets, water and coffee to evacuees who watched their homes slowly burn.
Waiting for power to be restored to his building, he was having trouble accepting the close call.
“Fire trucks going by and you usually hear them coming and then going, and this time they stopped at our address," he said. "Firefighters prioritized their efforts and, as we always do, SFD personnel worked as a team," the release said.
"This was a challenging fire due to many circumstances. Firefighters performed amazing rescues and battles extreme fire conditions."
The burnt portion of the building was partially taken down to properly extinguish the fire and reduce the risk of it collapsing further, the release said.
Some residents will require rehousing and the Salvation Army is making arrangements.
The fire department will hold a media conference at the #5 at 2 p.m. on Sunday to follow up with further information and details about the fire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.