UPDATE: Saskatoon Fire says family business building ‘expected to be a total loss’

A family business in Saskatoon has been devastated by a fire.

Firefighters, police and paramedics were all on the scene at WD Plastics on 56th Street East early on Wednesday morning after a fire broke out, causing significant damage to the building in the city’s North Industrial area.

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In a statement from Saskatoon Fire, just after 4:15 p.m., the fire is under control, but crews remain on scene.

It said the building’s contents are highly flammable, which made the fire difficult to contain.

Crews are currently working to extinguish three main hot spots and are expected to remain on site well into the night.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. While the value of the damage is unknown, the building is expected to be a total loss.

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.”

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.

Firefighters, police and paramedics were at the scene of the fire on Wednesday morning. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

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

“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.

The building is considered a total loss.

Hogan said the next step will involve bringing in an excavator to dismantle the structure safely and ensure all hot spots are extinguished.

“This is a family business, and so this, quite obviously, is devastating,” said 650 CKOM’s Alex Brown, who was reporting from the scene of the blaze on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, she said the business owners and employees have been very emotional as they arrived and watched the firefighters battle the blaze.

The cause of the blaze and the extent of the damage to the business is not yet known. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

“It’s been a really heartbreaking scene here,” Brown said.

“I’ve seen employees arrive, comforting the family. I’ve seen people sink to their knees and clutch their chest and have hands over their mouth… just in complete shock to see that this family business has been torn apart by fire early this morning.”

Currently on scene of an huge fire in the North Industrial area of #Saskatoon.
Here’s everything I know ⬇️ @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/2DOkUmZFC6

— Alex Brown (@AlexBrownYXE) May 7, 2025

Bystanders look on as a fire burns at WD Plastics in Saskatoon. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)