On Friday morning, the Saskatoon Fire Department received a report of a house fire on North L Avenue and arrived to find flames and smoke billowing from the house.
The crew ended up drilling a hole in the roof to access the fire. Inside, they found a strange discovery.
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The man who had been living here was using a barrel as a makeshift oven to keep his room warm. It was that barrel, firefighters say, that started the fire.
His next-door neighbors said that he is a distant relative of theirs, who has always been kind and helpful with his house projects.
Neighbor Lorissa Dillon added that she had been out of work for some time. She said they had some concerns about her well-being before the fire, but had no idea how serious things were.
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“I was worried,” Dillon said. “You know, he’s lonely, so I was just worried about him.”
Firefighters say that due to the extreme accumulation of items in the yard and house, the fire was much more difficult to put out.
Utilities were shut off at the time of the fire and the makeshift oven was vented through a bedroom window.
The home has been closed by the fire department due to the hoarding situation, lack of utilities and fire damage, estimated at $ 50,000.
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It has been ruled that the fire was accidental and the displaced tenant is now in the care of his family.
The incident is a sobering reminder to keep an eye on family and friends during the colder months to keep everyone safe.
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Reference-globalnews.ca