Encampment catches fire near Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan pavilion

An encampment at the site of a Saskatoon summer festival caught fire Tuesday morning.

The fire department was called to the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan pavilion shortly before 8 a.m. The fire was located under a wooden deck, which firefighters had to cut open in order to access the flames.

Encampment fire at Shakespeare Saskatchewan pavilion. #yxe pic.twitter.com/BzMhOda3tI

— Brent Bosker (@brentbosker) December 12, 2023

But while the platform was damaged, the pavilion itself was not affected by the fire.

A fire bylaw inspector visited the scene to offer support to “any individuals who may have been inadequately housed,” but nobody at the scene needed assistance, the department noted in a statement.

Damage was estimated at $10,000, the fire department added.

Aftermath of encampment fire near Shakespeare Saskatchewan pavilion #yxe @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/rhF7jBUJHK

— Brent Bosker (@brentbosker) December 12, 2023

In a previous interview with 650 CKOM, Fire Chief Morgan Hackl estimated that 85 per cent of the city’s neighbourhoods have homeless people living in them.

Last year, the fire department counted 512 interactions with people who were unhoused and living in temporary structures throughout Saskatoon. As of this past August, that number had climbed to nearly 600.

Previous fires at homeless encampments have caused significant damage to structures in the city.

The blaze was located under a wooden deck, which firefighters had to cut open in order to access the fire. (Brent Bosker/650 CKOM)

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker