Saskatoon Fire - News Releases

Out of concern for public safety, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) will be moving forward with the demolition of 314 2nd Avenue South, formerly known as the Continental Hotel. The demolition of the building will commence today.

A demolition order was issued by SFD back in February 2022. According to the order, “The structure is not being maintained in accordance with Bylaw 8175, The Property Maintenance & Nuisance Abatement for the City of Saskatoon and it constitutes an immediate risk to the life and safety of people in the neighbourhood as well as safety of nearby property. Further, the property owner has failed to remedy this risk over multiple years.”

In February, the owner was directed to:

• Immediately fence off adjacent sidewalk or parking/driving lanes
• Apply for a demolition permit by February 28, 2022
• Disconnect utility services by February 28, 2022
• Apply to have utility services abandoned/retired by March 15, 2022
• Have the appropriate utility company abandon/retire utility services by April 15, 2022
• Demolish the structure by April 15, 2022. An extension until April 22, 2022 was provided.
• Clear the site of rubble, debris or refuse by August 31, 2022

As of April 26, 2022 the structure was still standing with imminent risk and safety concerns.

“We respect the owner’s wishes of wanting to preserve remnants of the building, but it is also our duty to ensure public safety,” says Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer. “The building is beyond repair. It is currently at risk of a partial or full collapse, which is a significant safety risk. The cost to restore its structural integrity exceeds the replacement cost of the structure, which means demolition is the final and only reasonable course of action.”

SFD has had a long history with the building dating back to 2002.

• 2002 – The Fire Inspector at the time identified the interior of the building was dismantled and there were significant structural concerns.
• 2015 – An engineering inspection reported repairs would put the building into a temporary state of “stable condition,” but a permanent plan was deemed necessary.
• 2016 – The SFD did not receive a permanent rehabilitation plan. With no plan in place, SFD was obligated to issue an order in October 2016 requiring another structural assessment with a permanent plan for the structure.
• 2018 – A second engineering assessment occurred in January 2018 confirming the building required repairs to keep the structure stable in the short-term but required a reassessment every three months to monitor its stability. SFD received no further engineering assessments from the owner.
• 2020 – On January 17, SFD issued a demolition order and after that date worked with the property owner and Building Standards to allow the owner a demolition permit.

In more recent years, the SFD has become increasingly concerned about hazards to the public, firefighters or other emergency personnel.

• 2018 – A firefighter experienced a dangerous near miss when responding to a fire inside the building. The firefighter almost fell into the basement through a hole on the main floor, which was the result of temporary work done to the structure.
• 2020 – A caller to 911 reported loose bricks falling from the exterior of the building, nearly missing a cyclist on the ground roughly three stories below. A temporary repair was put in place by an engineer to prevent the bricks from falling.

The SFD is aware of the building’s history and past discoveries of historical interest related to the property; however, 314, 2nd Avenue South is not included on the Saskatoon Register of Historic Places.

The building will be demolished through the SFD Demolition and Property Remediation Process. SFD is hiring a contractor to complete the demolition. Currently, all dismantling of the building has been immediately ceased and the site is being cleared of all equipment and staff. Costs incurred by the demolition will be charged back to the property taxes.

At 3:27 p.m. on April 22, 2022, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received a report of an attached garage to a home on fire in the 1100 Block of Hargreaves Avenue.  Dispatched were three fire engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  First arriving fire crews reported seeing smoke from the garage.  All incoming crews were assigned tactical duties.  Natural gas and electrical service were shut off for safety reasons.  Crew initiated extinguishment through a door serving the garage.  Fire Investigator was dispatched to the scene.  Fire crews knocked down the fire and checked for hot spots and extension of fire in the attic.  This fire was quickly brought under control.   Fire crews are packing up equipment and returning to their respective stations where they will clean and decontaminate equipment; restock and repack fire engines and trucks.  

No one was home at the time of the fire.  No injuries to civilians or firefighters occurred as a result of this fire.

SFD's Incident Commander is in the process of turning the scene over to our Fire Investigator.  The fire scene examination for this fire will begin shortly.  An update with details will be provided once the fire investigation has been concluded.

Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) will be breaking ground for a state-of-the-art fire station along Preston Avenue, near 108th Street. The new station will replace the 56-year-old Fire Station No. 5 currently located on Central Avenue in Sutherland.

The relocation comes as a result of a review of SFD’s operations in 2014 that led to the development of a new service model to improve the fire service’s travel times across the city. The model aims to ensure SFD’s delivery of services is done in the most effective and efficient way possible as the City keeps an eye on the future and how to provide emergency response service to a city of half a million residents.

“The new location was selected with the aim of increasing both safety and efficiency,” says Fire Chief Morgan Hackl. "Computer-generated mapping revealed that relocating Station No. 5 closer to the intersection of College Drive and Preston Avenue will put our fire service in a better position to meet the four-minute travel time set out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and better utilize resources.”

With the relocation of Station No. 3 in 2018 and now Station No. 5, Hackl says a tenth fire station once earmarked for Stonebridge won’t be necessary – saving the City $6 million in construction costs and $3 million each year in operating costs.

Once fully commissioned, the 10,000 square foot (930 square metre), two-storey fire station will be equipped with two bays that will house one operational fire engine and another two reserve apparatus. The station will be staffed with a fire crew consisting of up to two firefighter-paramedics, two firefighters and one officer, 24 hours per day. An additional two Fire Inspectors will also be present during daytime hours.

Another goal of the new Station No. 5 is to strengthen neighbourhood amenities for the wider community.

“As the city grows, our Fire Department has done important work to reorganize our fire stations,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “This helps ensure we can keep our growing neighbourhoods protected in a way that efficiently uses our resources over the long term. This new Fire Station is an example of that. The University has been a great partner in getting this built and we continue to work closely with the University community. This is a great day.”

The building will be furnished with a shared cultural space intended for SFD initiatives, civic departments and the University of Saskatchewan. When available, the shared space will be open to public bookings for community groups.

“We are proud to continue to work in partnership with the City of Saskatoon on a wide variety of projects that help to serve and to give back to the vibrant community that we are all a part of,” says University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff. “The establishment of this new fire station is the latest development in the successful co-operation and collaboration between the city and the university and reinforces our commitment to community, including our Indigenous partners and friends. As we celebrate this important step forward for the city, it is important to recognize that this fire station will be located on Treaty 6 territory and the Homeland of the Métis.”

The new station will be operational by the summer of 2023, at which time the current station on Central Avenue will be decommissioned.

For more information, visit saskatoon.ca/FireStation5.

The fire investigation has concluded and the cause of the fire was determined to be suspicious.  Damage is estimated to the structure at $275,000.  The investigation has been turned over to our partners at the Saskatoon Police Service for their follow up.  If anyone has information relating to this fire, information can be provided to the Police at 306-975-8300.

The Fire Investigation has concluded for the fire that occurred in the 400 Block of Avenue E South.  Cause of the fire was determined to be accidental from improper disposal of smoldering incense in a waste basket.  Fire originated in a 3rd floor bedroom and damage is estimated to be $5000.

The Saskatoon Fire Department would like to provide a friendly reminder to "wet" smoldering material such as matches, incense, cigarettes or any other smoldering material prior to disposal.

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) received a report of flames coming from a window of a structure in the 300 Block of Avenue Q South on April 20, 2022 at 10:24 p.m.  Dispatched to the reported fire were three fire engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  First arriving crew reported flames showing from a fourplex structure fully involved in fire.  An exterior attack on the fire was initiated by the fire crews.  All incoming fire crews were assigned tactical duties.  The side of the fourplex where fire is located had a boarded door and window.  Fire crews breached the boarded window in order to access visible flames behind the board.  Entrance to the fire through the boarded door was made at 10:37 p.m.  Interior attack on the fire was initiated immediately at this point.  Fire crews identified multiple broken windows in the structure during their extinguishment with heavy smoke coming.  At 10:45 p.m. smoke was showing from the attic.  At 10:52 p.m., consideration by the incident commander was that the structure was starting to soften.  All four suites were being completed of a search by fire crews for occupants.  This fire was brought under control at 11:09 p.m.  No structural collapse occurred during this fire.

Fire Investigator was dispatched and responded from previous fire on Ave E South.  

Fire crews remain on the scene at this time to check there are no fire extensions or hot spots at this time.  No injuries to civilians or firefighters are reported at this time.

An update to cause, origin and damage estimate will be provided as soon as practical.  

At 9:14 p.m. on April 20, 2022, the Saskatoon Fire Department received a report of a fire inside a structure.  Dispatched to the scene were three fire engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief.  On arrival at 9:18 p.m., the first arriving fire crew reported no visible signs of fire from the exterior.  Upon entering the structure, the fire crews found a small fire on the third floor of the structure.  Using a pump tank with a hose line as a back up, they extinguished the fire using the water pump tank and not the hose line.  Fire crews searched the home for fire extension and occupants.  Two occupants had evacuated prior to our fire crew arrival.  No other fires or fire extension were found from the original small fire on the third floor.  All occupants had evacuated.  A Fire Investigator was dispatched to the scene.  Fire crews ventilated the home of smoke at 9:27 p.m.  

Fire crews are returning to their respective stations and packing up equipment while preparing to turn the fire scene over to the Fire Investigator who is still enroute.  An update for the cause, origin and damage estimate will be released as soon as practical.

No injuries to firefighters or civilians occurred as a result of this fire.

Fire crews from the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD), Pike Lake, Delisle and Montrose Fire Departments remained on the scene putting out spot fires until 6:30 p.m on April 19, 2022.  This was a collaborative effort by all fire services to protect structures and extinguish the fire.  Support was provided by the Corman Park Police and the RCMP.  Engines, off road vehicles, tankers, and necessary equipment were provided by all fire services with Montrose supplying 3000 liters of water during the incident.  SFD transferred command over to the Delisle Fire Chief just before 6:00 p.m. 

SFD fire crews were on the scene for 2 hours and 20 minutes before packing up equipment and returning back to their fire stations.  A total of four fire engines, two brush trucks and two tanker trucks responded from SFD during this fire.  

Thank you to our partner fire departments for their coordination and team work.

Damage is estimated at $200,000.

At 2:14 a.m., the Saskatoon Fire Department responded to a structure fire.  Three fire engines, a rescue unit, a ladder truck and the Battalion Chief responded to the scene.  On arrival, first arriving fire crews reported smoke showing from a 4 level split home and began hooking the fire engine to the hydrant.  All incoming fire crews were assigned their tactical duties.  A gate had to be breached to access the rear of the home.  5 occupants were home at the time of the fire and evacuated to their backyard.  Utilities were shut off by firefighters for scene safety and utility companies requested to respond.  This fire was brought under control at 2:43 a.m.  

The occupants were turned over to the care of the ambulance service to be assessed for smoke inhalation.  

The fire scene was turned over to the Fire Investigator at 3:27 a.m.  Fire crews returned to their respective stations.

Cause of the fire was accidental due to an overloaded electrical circuit serving a 6 plug in multi power block.  Fire originated at an electrical outlet in the living room and damage estimate is $200,00. 

No working smoke alarms were identified in the home by the Fire Investigator.  Only one smoke alarm present without a battery, not functioning.  The occupants were woken by one of the occupants coughing from smoke filling the house.  Fire was visible in the living room and a parent jumped out the window, grabbed a ladder and evacuated the remainder of the family.  They took safe refuge in their yard until firefighters arrived.  Two adults and three children were lucky to escape with light smoke inhalation.

Please take this as an opportunity to test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.  If you don't have smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, install them immediately as they are part of a life safety system in your home.  Alarms save lives.  Check out the Saskatoon Fire Department webpage on minimum requirements and information on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.