Saskatoon fire department responds to New Year’s Eve structure fire
Global News
One resident reported to be living in the home was not accounted for during the fire and Saskatoon police are following up.
The Saskatoon fire department responded to a structure fire in the 400 block of Avenue R South on New Year’s Eve.
According to a release, Saskatoon police officers on patrol reported the structure fire at 9:21 p.m.
Fire crews were dispatched to the scene and reported that the structure was fully involved.
An exterior attack of the fire was initiated on arrival with limited entry into the structure due to the amount of fire and unsafe conditions.
Neighbouring homes were at risk of catching on fire so some firefighters were assigned to protect them.
A portion of the structure involved in the fire had to be taken down with an excavator at 3:19 a.m.
According to the release, a wall was at immediate risk of falling due to loss of structural strength combined with the weight of water freezing to it.
Temperatures in the city dropped as low as -49 C with the windchill around midnight.