A massive fire that destroyed a residential building in the Sutherland neighborhood of Saskatoon on Saturday was caused by improper dumping of smoking material in a plastic container, fire investigators said.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday, Saskatoon Fire Chief Morgan Huckle said investigators found the blaze broke out on the ground floor outside the northwest corner of the building due to improper dumping of smoking material near the building. The container had no sand or water on the bottom to extinguish the materials.
It caught fire, starting a fire that will cause damage of about $ 5 million.
Fire chief Morgan Huckle said five people had been rescued by a fire that destroyed a residential building in the Sutherland district on Friday night, and no one was seriously injured. (Dane Patterson / CBC News)
Firefighters were on the scene 2.5 minutes after receiving the fire signal at 11:30 p.m.
When the first crews arrived, the entire north and west walls of the building were engulfed in flames and flames spread across the roof of the three-story building at the corner of 108th Street and Bryans Avenue.
Firefighters spent seven hours fighting to take control of the blazing fire – much longer than the usual hour needed to put out the blaze, Huckle said – and another seven to put out the blaze.
By the end of more than 14 hours, more than 80 employees had been involved in extinguishing the fire.
Firefighters rescued five people from their apartments, officials said, some of whom had mobility problems and could not escape from their apartments.
Of the 24 apartments in the building, 23 were occupied during the fire. One person was assessed for injuries on the spot, but no one was hospitalized.
Although there are no injuries to residents or firefighters, Huckle said firefighters must enter a “dangerous situation” to save the occupants.
In his 35 years as a firefighter, Huckle said he had seen other similar fires, and those that burned at that intensity also had highly flammable exteriors.
Modern construction is a major factor in the burden
On Sunday afternoon, people continued to stop to take pictures of the destroyed building close enough to smell the damp ash.
Right in the fence of the building in a cage were clothes, still on hangers, scattered around the rubble. The northwest side of the building looked as if it had been torn off, with protruding insulation and broken wires hanging like vines in front of what looked like a kitchen.
Huckle suggested that the fire could have been less severe had it not been for the modern building materials used in its construction.
“A construction that has vinyl siding, many different stickers [a structural material manufactured through the union of individual wood segments] and material of oriented straps containing glue: When the fire catches this product, it moves very fast; it burns very hot, “Huckle told reporters.
Personal belongings of homeowners, including clothing, were scattered among the rubble in front of the apartment building on the corner of 108th Street and Bryans Avenue. Charred sawdust also poured over the fences that surrounded the building. (Dane Patterson / CBC News)
The fire climbed the vinyl flooring and “quickly moved into the open space for rooftop farms,” he said.
Huckle said associations and unions continue to push for better building materials.
“There was a very good focus on the interior of the buildings and the early activation, and we continue to stand up for the exterior of the buildings,” he said.
Several buildings on 108th Street W. were also evacuated, but none were damaged by the fire and the road was completely closed to traffic.
Four cars were damaged in the fire.
The fire was completely contained only around 5 am on Saturday. Part of the structure was removed by an excavation company to ensure that all hotspots were extinguished and to prevent further collapse.
An excavation company was called in to ensure that the hotspots were extinguished and to reduce the risk of further collapse. (Saskatchewan Fire Service)
Huckle highlighted one aspect of the reaction to the house fire: No one raised the fire alarm, even though it was working. He said it was important, especially in apartment complexes, for people to raise the alarm and warn others in the building.
“Much of the early public intervention was actually people outside the building trying to warn people out, and also someone in the building who was moving down the halls and warning people with screams,” he said.
The building had no sprinklers in apartments or common areas.
Officials say the Sutherland apartment building, torn apart by a fire on Friday night, is a complete loss. (Dane Patterson / CBC News)
Mike Mike Hoft, commander of the Salvation Army Rescue Army, told CBC News that the organization had organized hotel rooms for 12 families displaced by the fire on Saturday.
Huckle said that as far as he knew, they had all been relocated either to family, friends or through an organization. He wasn’t sure how many people needed shelter.
The site has been handed over to the property management company of the condominium management boards and is required to be secured.
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