Accidental fire in strip mall causes $500K in damage: Saskatoon fire department
Global News
Investigators have determined the cause and source of the business fire was an extension cord plugged into a timer that was being served by another extension cord.
The Saskatoon Fire Department is reminding residents of the dangers of using extension cords as a permanent means of wiring after a fire Saturday night.
In a news release, the fire department said they received a 911 call at 6:10 p.m. about a possible fire in the kitchen of a convenience store on 25th Street and 2nd Avenue.
According to the statement, the first arriving crews reported a fire in the adjoining business in the centre of a strip mall.
The battalion chief conducted a complete walk around the structure while firefighters hooked up the hydrant and went into the middle business where the bulk of the fire was noted. The release said the battalion chief could see heavy smoke from the front and back of the business.
All utilities and service station pumps on the property were shut down for scene safety and precautions. SaskEnergy and Saskatoon Light & Power attended the scene to make sure utilities would not be a hazard or a safety concern.
At 6:25 p.m., the ceiling collapsed inside the business where the bulk of the fire was burning. Crews backed away for safety and continued to extinguish the fire from safe locations.
At 6:30 p.m., it was found that the roof was sagging and the battalion chief called for all firefighters to leave the structure due to the risk of the roof collapsing.
Fire crews continued to extinguish the fire from ladders against the building and the ladder unit without going onto the roof.