Saskatoon firefighters responded to a fire on the south end of the city shortly before 3:30 a.m. this morning (thurs) when the received a report of heavy black smoke behind a building in the 2500 block of Jasper Avenue.

The caller couldn’t identify what was on fire but it was a stack of pallets behind a warehouse.

Fire officials say storage containers that the pallets were located beside were checked for fire and heat extension to their interiors. Fire damage was contained to the exterior of the storage units.

The fire was brought under control within 15 minutes and no one was hurt. The cause of the fire which originated in the yard and stack of pallets is suspicious and damage is estimated at $1,000.

And, the Saskatoon Fire Department was in the right place at the right time yesterday evening. At 7:45 p.m. a fire crew and fire engine were part of a community event in the area of Avenue W South when they were approached by someone reporting smoke coming from an apartment in the 500 block of Avenue W South.

There was a fire in the basement of an apartment complex. An additional two fire engines, one ladder unit, one rescue unit and the Battalion Chief were dispatched to the fire.

The door to the suite where the fire originated was locked so fire crews had to force entry and put out a fire in a small storage room beside the door of the suite. It took about 25 minutes to get the fire under control and no-one was hurt. The suite was vacant at the time.

Firefighters cleared the building of smoke and carbon monoxide and a fire investigator has determined there was $30,000 damage to the suite, as well, the fire was suspicious and the investigation has been turned over to the Saskatoon Police.