Frightening fire destroys garage on Saskatoon's east side

Kane Thomas says it went from sound to blazing fury in a matter of minutes.

Thomas, who lives in the basement suite at 1020 5th StreetE., saidjust after 5 a.m. CST, he went outside for a cigarette and heard a sound from the backyard.

"I heard some crackling in the background, grabbed the hose, went running around the corner, all of a sudden it was engulfed," he explained.

Thomas said he alerted his neighbours to what was happening and then continued to hose down thegarage as he waited for firefighters to arrive.

The garage was surrounded by two-storey fir and elm trees. There was also a cluster of overhead power lines stretching from the alley to the house. The neighbouring garage was within a metre of the burning structure.

By the time crews began pouring water on the fire, the power lines had popped and detached from the house. The closest fir tree had also ignited.

Fire fighters concentrated on keeping other buildings from lighting upand getting the tree doused. They then focused on the burning garage.

It took about 20 minutes to get the blaze under control.

There were no injuries.

According to the Saskatoon Fire Department, damages to the garage and siding on the house are estimated to be $40,000.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.