Yorkton apartment fire possibly related to arson: Fire chief
Emergency crews remained on the scene of an apartment fire in Yorkton, Sask. on Tuesday afternoon that could be connected to arson.
Yorkton Fire Chief Trevor Morrissey said emergency crews first responded to a separate fire Monday night that firefighters were able to completely put out.
RCMP have confirmed the first fire was not suspicious.
“We were at this location last night, the fire was out and this fire started in a totally different place,” he said.
Crews then responded to a second fire around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. This time the building was completely engulfed in flames.
The second blaze may have been arson, according to Morrissey.
“We are fairly certain it’s [been set] by hand, there was evidence of an intrusion when we came back,” Morrissey said.
(Stacey Hein/CTV News)
Morrissey said right now there are no casualties but added that could change once more searches are conducted.
“Firefighters got halfway through a secondary search, but there was an explosion on the second floor, so we had to stop there,” he said.
Two people trapped on the building’s third floor were saved by rescuers, according to Morrissey.
Meanwhile, residents near the apartment complex have been asked to evacuate due to a natural gas leak that could escalate to an explosion.
Daniel Lerat said he has lived on the second floor of the building, known as Riverview Place, for almost a year and is still in disbelief.
“I’m still in shock, I’m still processing it. It’s a big loss, especially this time of year,” Lerat said.
He said he has lost everything to the fire.
A local business called Extravadance is accepting donations at its’ Yorkton, Canora and Preeceville locations for thos who lost property in the fire. The owner, Kristin Webber, woke up Tuesday morning and decided to help after she heard the news.
“Basically, if you look around your house and anything you have, they have none of that,” she said.
Organizations such as the Red Cross, Victim Services and the nearby Yorkton Alliance church have also helped the displaced residents.
Fire crews remained on scene until Tuesday evening.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.