Saskatoon dealership hit by second fire in recent months

The owner of a car dealership on 22nd Street is picking up the pieces following a fire Wednesday, mere months after his business was the target of arson.

A Saskatoon car dealership is recovering after an early morning fire Wednesday—the second incident at the business in recent months.

Daou Auto owner Randy Daou said he received a shocking wake-up call around 4:30 a.m. when he learned his business was on fire.

“I was in shock the whole time. Didn’t quite understand why,” he said in an interview with CTV News on Friday.

The fire damaged the west side of the building and six vehicles.

Daou, who has operated the dealership on 22nd Street West for more than two decades, said there were signs someone had been in the area before the fire and believes this one, started outside.

“There’s blankets, there’s a grate, there’s bags, there’s some food left over,” he said. “I’m assuming it lit the cars on fire and the rest of the building.”

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Saskatoon police say an arson investigator is examining the cause.

The fire comes months after a previous arson at the dealership in December, when police say a person set a fire in a vehicle’s front wheel well, leaving it a write-off. No arrests have been made in that case.

“That was one episode that we just had to deal with and now this,” Daou said.

The latest fire has forced the business to close for several days, with damage estimated at about $350,000.

Daou said costs are already adding up, including staff and overhead.

“I can’t put a value on it just yet, but I know that’s costing me every day,” he said.

The team is now operating out of a temporary trailer office and hopes to reopen Saturday.

“We just got to keep our heads up, stay strong and continue on,” Daou said.