SASKATOON - Saskatoon Fire Department's Fire Station No. 5 responded to a multi-residential structure fire beside their station on Friday, March 31, in the 400 block of Central Avenue.
At 11:21 p.m., SFD was alerted of smoke coming out from the second floor of the building and crews were already on the scene assessing the situation at 11:24 p.m.
Saskatoon Police Service assisted SFD and closed a portion of Central Avenue from 103rd to 105th streets to allow firefighters to set up their equipment and have a safe workspace to extinguish the fire.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported to firefighters or civilians residing in the apartments since the fire alarm system had been activated, alerting all tenants to evacuate as fire crews arrived.
The building's property manager was also present, and the owner made sure to rehouse the tenants affected by the fire.
A city bus was requested to transport the tenants to their temporary housing, with city police assisting with traffic as occupants boarded the bus.
The fire was fully involved and was located in a suite on the second floor of the multi-residential structure. Firefighters used an exterior and interior attack and controlled the fire at 11:49 p.m.
At 12:59 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, the fire investigator took over the scene after fire crews ensured it was safe for inspection.
The investigator determined that the fire that started in the living room was caused by a lit candle that overturned and ignited nearby combustible materials.
The damage to the property is estimated at $100,000. The building is closed due to smoke and water damage and will be reopened once the remediation has been conducted.
