2 separate fires destroy 2 homes in Saskatoon

A hectic evening in Saskatoon kept the city fire department busy responding to two separate house fires on Saturday.

The first call came into dispatchers at about 9:33 p.m. CST about a possible kitchen fire at 130 Avenue G N.

The first engine arrived on scene within two minutes of the call and reported heavy smoke coming from the second floor at the back of the building, as well as flames in the kitchen. While battling the blaze, fire crews noted flames had penetrated the attic.

In all three fire engines, a ladder truck and a rescue truck attended the scene and stopped the fire from spreading to neighbouring homes.

The fire department said everyone inside made it out safe, however, one firefighter suffered a minor injury due to broken glass as a result of this fire.

The preliminary report from the fire investigator shows unattended cooking was the cause of the fire. Damage to the home is estimated at approximately $200,000.

Just a couple of hours later at about 11:40 p.m., while crews were still on scene of the fire on Avenue G, a second call came in from a neighbour reporting a house fire at 1139 Avenue I S.

Four minutes after the call, firefighters noticed heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of the building.

Once they entered the home, firefighters discovered the fire was mainly coming from the kitchen and a bedroom on the main floor.

The fire department said they confirmed the house was vacant and that the occupants had moved out a few days ago.

Crews had the fire under control in about 20 minutes and they left the scene shortly after midnight.

This fire remains under investigation, but the damage is pegged at about $70,000.