One dead following Saskatoon motel fire

Man dies in motel fire A man is dead after a fire at a Saskatoon motel.

A fire that left one person dead at a Saskatoon motel was caused by “improper disposal of smoking material”, the fire department said.

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) responded to a blaze at the Thriftlodge on 1800 block of Idylwyld Drive North just before 6 a.m. Thursday.

When crews arrived, they saw smoke and flames coming from one of the suites, according to an SFD news release.

They forced open the door to the suite and found one person dead inside.

The person’s body was removed before crews worked to extinguish the flames, the SFD said

Firefighters evacuated the occupants of unaffected units and ensured the fire did not spread, the department said.

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) assisted the department in examining the fire scene.

Investigators said they believe the fire started on the desk of the motel room.

The damage has been estimated at $30,000.

The fire department said the room was missing a smoke detector.

They have asked the business to provide them with the smoke alarm records.