Mounties in the community of Morse, Sask., will be looking for new accommodations after a serious fire destroyed the detachment’s offices. RCMP confirmed the detachment’s fate in an update issued just before 4 p.m. Monday. The police service said no one was inside when the fire broke out Sunday evening, and no injuries have been reported. The Morse Fire Department reported that its members responded to a structure fire in the community at around 6 p.m. Sunday. Hydrant issues near the site caused the department to call on farmers in the area to assist. The Town of Morse commented on the situation in a post to social media, thanking the community for its help during the incident, while providing context around the hydrant’s failure. “Although the hydrant was opened, flushed, and operational when checked in the spring, its failure under emergency conditions highlights the importance of continually investing in and renewing our critical infrastructure,” the post read. Photos from the scene show collapsed walls and charred brick at the site of the detachment, with further wreckage spilled out in all directions. Fire investigators with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency were due to attend the site on Monday. At this point, the fire is not believed to be suspicious. “Saskatchewan RCMP sincerely thanks the Morse Fire Department and the many community members who came together and worked so hard through the evening to fight the fire,” Insp. Jill McLaren, Sask. RCMP South District operations officer, said in the update. “We’ve lost the detachment, but this does not change our commitment to keeping the communities in the detachment area safe. Saskatchewan RCMP does regular contingency planning, which helps us maintain police service during unexpected events, like this fire.” Morse RCMP will continue servicing the community with the help of RCMP officers from Swift Current. Anyone requiring criminal record checks or other “in-detachment services” is asked to visit the Swift Current Rural detachment located at 50 George St. Morse is located about 175 kilometres west of Regina.
