SASKATOON – Update 3: After bringing the fire under control at approximately 5:30 p.m. on June 21, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) continued to monitor hot spots into the evening. The scene was cleared at approximately 10:30 p.m. There is no longer a fire risk on the bridge and, following minor repairs by city crews, the structure was reopened to traffic this afternoon.
An SFD Fire Investigator was requested to perform a fire cause and origin scene examination. The fire investigator determined the fire as suspicious and originated from a household mattress located within one of the bridge’s arches. The Saskatoon Police Service will continue their portion of the investigation.
A damage estimate is not available at this time.
Update 2: The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) continues to address a fire that is occurring on the underside of University Bridge. Fire crews are working with City engineers, Saskatoon Light and Power and Saskatoon Water to determine the extent of the fire and monitor the integrity of the bridge. SFD’s Command 9 unit is also on scene.
The fire is under control, but firefighters continue to assess the scene for hot spots. As a precautionary measure, work crews are drilling into the bridge deck for firefighters to apply water at specific locations, controlling temperatures and avoiding risk to the bridge.
The fire appears to have started from a mattress in an encampment on top of an archway under the bridge. The flames reached the underside of the bridge deck where old wooden forms used to repair the bridge in 1972 were exposed. This, in turn, started a fire in a designed utility cavity that is difficult to reach.
Based on a preliminary assessment, there doesn’t appear to be any major structural damage to the University Bridge but further evaluations are necessary to determine the overall impact. Detailed inspections will be conducted to assess the bridge's condition and confirm its safety prior to reopening.
Maintaining the bridge's safety and integrity is top priority. SFD, along with City engineers, Saskatoon Light & Power and Saskatoon Water will continue to closely monitor the situation. Once further inspections are done, work will begin on rectifying any potential damage.
For your safety and ours, pedestrians and cyclists are asked to please stay away from the barricaded walkways at University Bridge.
The Fire Department asks drivers to reroute their commute:
- From the east side of the bridge, drivers are encouraged to take Clarence Avenue to 12th Street and use the Broadway Bridge or use 8th street and use the Traffic Bridge or Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge.鈥�
- From the west side of the bridge, drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes downtown and to use the Broadway Bridge, Traffic Bridge, or Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge.
A timeline of when the bridge will be reopened is not known at this time.
University Bridge will remain closed for the evening commute on Wednesday for . Spadina Crescent remains closed between 24th and 25th streets, under the University Bridge during this work. This is a complete closure with no access to the bridge during this time for drivers or pedestrians. The bridge will remain closed until further notice.
For your safety and ours, pedestrians and cyclists are asked to please stay away from the barricaded walkways at University Bridge.
The fire department asks drivers to reroute their commute:
- From the east side of the bridge, drivers are encouraged to take Clarence Avenue to 12th Street and use the Broadway Bridge or use 8th street and use the Traffic Bridge or Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge.鈥�
- From the west side of the bridge, drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes downtown and to use the Broadway Bridge, Traffic Bridge, or Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge.
This closure impacts transit service on Routes 4, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 6. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information are available on third-party apps like鈥�痑苍诲鈥�痮n desktop.鈥��
Please allow for additional travel time to reach destinations, and remember to respect all detour signage.
For more information about current road restrictions and construction, visit .
Update: Saskatoon Fire Department says that University Bridge is now closed completely and there won't be any access to the bridge right now. The pedestrian walkways are also fully closed.
City bus transit routes 4, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 6 are impacted.
Original story: Firefighters are on scene of a fire at a homeless camp under the University Bridge.
The Saskatoon Fire Department first received a report of a fire under the bridge at about 12:41 a.m. on June 21. When they arrived, identified an abandoned encampment on fire under the bridge.
SFD is currently on scene with a ladder truck which is 小蓝视频 used to access the location and a tanker truck to supply water. The fire is in a location that is difficult to extinguish. The fire is under control but a timeline of when the fire will be fully extinguished is not known at this time.
Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area directly under the University Bridge at this time while crews remain on scene.
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