The Saskatoon Fire Department says the cause of the fatal fire early Monday morning in the 2100 block of 37th Street West is undetermined, and the Fire Investigator estimates the damage at $350,000. Around 1:30 that morning, fire crews responded and found the home fully involved in fire. A 79-year-old woman was found deceased inside the home in Saskatoon’s Westview neighbourhood.

The Fire Department says the conditions were challenging for firefighters because there was an excessive amount of combustible material throughout the home and portions of the ceiling and wallboard were falling from the heat of the fire. The home’s structure was compromised from a hole being burnt through the floor and the ceiling and walls were falling down, which made it impossible to figure out what caused the fire.

There were no smoke alarms in the home, which the Fire Department says in a news release may have contributed to the occupant’s inability to evacuate. The Fire Department reminds the public that smoke alarms provide the earliest warning of smoke or fire.