Moose Jaw firefighters fought with their lives to get the fire at the Empire Apartments building under control on Dec. 21.
The building is located at the corner of Caribou Street and Fourth Avenue NW. Firefighters responded to the emergency call at 3:17 a.m. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but is assessed as accidental for now.
“Right now, we are able to say upon investigation, it’s not being suspicious, and it is deemed accidental. Our firefighters overcame a lot of adversities, and it was a dangerous situation,” Deputy Fire Chief Mike Russell said.
“We are going off just what we can find from the investigation and looking at the rubble, talking with witnesses and getting their statements.”
Twenty-four firefighters were fighting constantly to get the fire within their control.
While dealing with the situation, three officers had minor injuries and were treated on the scene by the EMS. One member was transported to the local hospital. He was treated there for four hours with superficial burns. He was released at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
The deputy fire chief says the officer is on days off right now and his status will be monitored for his well-being.
Russell said he is proud of his units and co-workers and the work they have been doing to keep the city safe.
“It was a dangerous situation. That’s what we do. We do dangerous jobs and unfortunate situations for our members to be injured,” said Russell. “I am proud of the work we have done, and we will continue to do so.”
