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Saskatoon Fire Department working to solve railway response issue

A home is badly damaged after a fire raged through it Tuesday. The fire department continues to work with railway companies to find solutions. Eric Beck / Global News

SASKATOON – A home in Saskatoon is badly damaged after a fire raged through it Tuesday night. The initial fire crew was held up by a train, so a second crew had to be dispatched.

Firefighters arrived seven minutes after the alarm first came in to find the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood house fully engulfed in flames. The fire was declared under control in 43 minutes. No injuries were reported but investigations say the cause is suspicious.

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The Saskatoon Fire Department continues to work with railway companies to find solutions.

“We’re working with them to come up with what’s called a ‘data link’ where we will be able to be pre-alerted at our central dispatch of when a train is crossing a level crossing, such as that one on 20th Street and at that time our dispatchers could make that decision to send an apparatus from another fire station,” said assistant fire chief Morgan Hackl.

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“We’re fortunate right now that we can respond to most incidents within the city from multiple directions,” said Fire Chief Dan Paulsen.

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