After 35 hours, fire at Saskatoon business fully extinguished

It took fire crews in Saskatoon just over 35 hours to put out the blaze of a local family business.

In a release just before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Saskatoon Fire said the structure fire at WD Plastics on 56th Street East has been fully extinguished and fire crews have left the scene.

The fire was contained to the single structure.

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Saskatoon fire said although the initial report indicated a fire on the roof of the building, the exact area where it started is still unknown.

The building is considered a total loss. Part of it was brought down to help fight the blaze.

Fencing now surrounds the building and the fire debris.

A fire investigator will begin an examination of the scene on Friday to explore the cause of the fire and determine a damage estimate.

What happened?

Rob Hogan, deputy chief of operations with the Saskatoon Fire Department, said the call came in just after 5 a.m., and three engines were dispatched, along with a battalion chief.

Firefighters arrived to find intense flames shooting from the west side of the building.

“Initial crews had heavy flames, approximately 10 to 20 feet in the air, (and) heavy smoke,” Hogan said. “They started an initial attack and did a good knockdown. Unfortunately, it looks like the fire had already spread through most of the building.”

Absolutely devastating that this family business is lost to fire this morning.

WD Plastics is a family-owned business, and won the Business Builder Award from NSBA Business Awards in 2022.
They were also in high demand during the pandemic, as they produced plexiglass barriers. pic.twitter.com/HnZC2XZLjj

— Alex Brown (@AlexBrownYXE) May 7, 2025

The business, which manufactures plastic and resins, was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

Due to the nature of the materials inside – including plastic pallets, resins, CNC machines and ovens – the flames spread quickly and the blaze was difficult to contain.

By 6:30 a.m., the fire department had called a second alarm, bringing in additional crews and apparatus.

A total of six engines, two ladder trucks, and more than 30 personnel were on scene throughout the morning.

Hogan noted that structural issues complicated firefighting efforts.

“At some point over the years, a second roof was put on the building,” he explained. “We’re able to get the first roof off, but we can’t get the second roof off, so we’re kind of stuck there.”

Strong wind gusts, reaching over 40 kilometres per hour, also created challenges for the firefighters.

Crews were temporarily pulled back from aerial ladders for safety, then repositioned once conditions allowed.

Despite the size of the blaze and the burning of hazardous materials, Hogan says there was no danger to the public.

“We’re very fortunate from the fact that we have a very strong wind… pushing it essentially out of the city, dissipating pretty much all the smoke very quickly.”

All firefighting crews wore full breathing apparatus while they worked, and no injuries were reported.

— with files from 650 CKOM’s Alex Brown and CKOM News