'Very scary': Potential arson at Saskatoon building worrisome for resident

A resident of a building being investigated for a possible arson says the recent incident is “very scary.”

Jordyn Harder lives two floors above where the fire happened.

“To think that if they hadn’t put the fire out so quickly, it could have been a lot worse, and it could happen again. It’s so unpredictable.”

The Saskatoon Fire Department evacuated a condo building in the Lakeview neighbourhood while responding to a condo blaze an investigator deemed suspicious.

Firefighters were dispatched to the 800 block of Kingsmere Boulevard around 5:11 a.m. on Sunday morning, according a news release from the city.

Flames were visible coming from the window of a ground-floor suite when first responders arrived, the news release said.

A man was trapped in the bedroom of the suite, but managed to escape through the window.

The smoke alarm in the suite was going off, and the fire alarm was ringing throughout the building.

“It was just crazy to me,” said Harder.

The fire department said all 28 suites were checked to ensure residents had evacuated, and the fire was brought under control by 5:41 a.m.

Firefighters ventilated the building to clear out smoke and carbon monoxide, with people returning to their suites by 6:30 a.m., the news release said.

An investigator concluded the fire was deliberately set in the hallway of the suite, trapping the man inside the bedroom. They estimated the cost of damages to be around $35,000.

The investigation has been handed over to the Saskatoon Police Service.

The Saskatoon Fire Department says a fire was deliberately set in the hallway outside the bedroom, trapping a man inside.