Lumsden retreat centre roof catches fire

A Lumsden retreat centre — often considered a landmark of the surrounding valley —  caught fire on Thursday. 

It began in the roof at the The Living Skies Retreat Centre, according to Lumsden and District Fire Chief Jeff Carey. 

His department got the call around 10:15 a.m. CST and learned it was a structural fire. 

"We were definitely concerned when we arrived on scene of the fire getting away from us," Carey said. 

They called both the Regina Beach and the Regina departments in light of the recent grass fires that have plagued the area pair with due to dry, windy conditions. 

He said the fire was burning in an area between the roof and the ceiling, so it was difficult to assess how much was actually ablaze. 

The firefighters had to cut off a large portion of the roof to access it, he said. 

"There's quite a fair amount of fire damage, a lot of water damage, too, and there is a significant amount of smoke damage as well throughout the building," Carey said.

At the time he spoke with CBC, Carey had yet to determine the cause of the fire. He said there was work being done on the roof at the time.

Carey said the department hasn't responded to a grass fire since Monday, but his team remains aware of the potential. 

A spokesperson for the Living Skies Retreat and Wellness Centre said the owner had advised staff not to comment and that the centre would issue a statement at a later time.