Damage is estimated at $500 thousand dollars following a fire at a business located at 25th Street and 2nd Avenue. The call came in at 6:10 last night (sat) about a possible blaze in the kitchen of a convenience store. The first arriving crews reported a fire in the adjacent business in the strip mall. At 6:25 p.m., the ceiling of the building collapsed where the bulk of the fire was.

Due to the roof sagging, firefighters continued to attack the blaze from the outside. Police and the fire investigator were able to determine that the cause of the fire was due to an extension cord plugged into a timer that was being served by another extension cord. Fire travelled along the cord and proceeded up the wall and into the ceiling.

The Saskatoon Fire Department reminds residents that extension cords should never be used as permanent means of wiring. Safe practice is having all small and large appliances plugged directly into an outlet.