Three police officers treated for smoke inhalation after suspicious fire

Three police officers and a civilian were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after a suspicious fire in Saskatoon on Sunday.

According to the Saskatoon Fire Department, police officers alerted firefighters to a blaze in the back yard of a residential building on Avenue H North just before 5 a.m.

Two fire engines, a rescue truck, a ladder truck and the battalion chief were all dispatched to the scene, where they spotted flames rising from the rear of the building. Those flames then caused a neighbouring building to also catch fire.

“An exterior attack on the fire was conducted immediately by fire crews,” the fire department said in a statement.

“Once a secure water supply was established by connecting to a hydrant, the fire crews made entry to both structures to search for occupants.”

Both structure fires were brought under control after about an hour’s work, the fire department said, and the scene was then turned over to a police arson investigator because the cause was considered suspicious.

“Three members of the Saskatoon Police Service and one occupant of the structure were transported to hospital for smoke inhalation,” the fire department said. “The remainder of the investigation has been turned over to Saskatoon Police Service.”

Damage from the fire was estimated to be $100,000, the fire department added.