Saskatoon fire crews were called back at least once during the weekend to check on smouldering remains of a large warehouse fire in the Sutherland industrial area.
Firefighters were called back at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday after reports of thick smoke at the scene. Fire officials say it's not uncommon for fires of this size to have flareups days after the main fire. Lighter smoke was seen on Sunday as well.
Crews were first called to the 100 block of 107th Street East around 4 p.m. Friday for a fire in a warehouse that was being used to store merchandise for Canadian Tire. Smoke was billowing into the sky and the fire was so strong that crews were initially unable to enter the building and were forced to first prevent flames from spreading to neighbouring buildings.
Fire crews spent nearly 20 hours on the scene and officials say every truck in the city attended the blaze at one point during the night as 14 alarms were called during the course of the battle. There were about 30 firefighters and seven trucks on scene for the majority of the fire.
Traffic control crews monitored the area for much of the night before re-opening streets around 3 a.m.
All fire crews had left the scene by 11 a.m. Saturday, but a commissionaire remained on scene to keep the area secure.
The nearby Playful Paws Pet Center, which some news outlets reported held more than 150 dogs and cats, was evacuated Friday afternoon. No injuries occurred during the incident.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. A fire investigator will return to the scene Tuesday.
A damage estimate has yet to be determined.
