Spadina Crescent: fire was detected on University Bridge

At approximately 9:15 a.m. on October 4, 2024, the Saskatoon Fire Department received reports of a fire near Spadina Crescent and 25th Street East. Crews arrived to find smoke coming from an encampment under the bridge, where they located an uninjured individual. Firefighters quickly extinguished the small fire while it was confirmed that the bridge sustained no structural damage.

More specifically, the City of Saskatoon reports that its engineers have inspected the University Bridge after emergency crews responded to a fire at an encampment beneath it. The debris and garbage at the site have been cleared.

The Saskatoon Fire Department responded to the encampment fire with a rescue truck and high-angle rescue team, while City engineers assessed the bridge for safety. Once the scene is deemed secure, it will be handed over to the Fire Investigator for further examination.

This incident follows a similar encampment fire under the University Bridge on June 22, 2023, which started from a mattress and ignited wooden forms from a 1972 bridge repair. The fire spread to a utility cavity, complicating efforts to extinguish it.