Editor’s note: Saskatoon police had previously stated that early indications on the cause of the fire had led to an arson investigation. This is a corrected story.
An investigation into what caused a fire Tuesday morning at the Matriarch Nightclub and Event Centre is ongoing.
A 911 call came in to the Saskatoon Fire Department at 5:21 a.m. CT reporting smoke and flame coming from the building located at 33rd Street East and Alberta Avenue.
Crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the building.
Eight fire apparatus were called in to battle the fire.
Assistant chief Wayne Rodger said although firefighters had the upper hand after three hours of fighting the blaze, it was still not under control.
Rodger said there was fire in the roof that was still concealed and firefighters needed to take precautions to ensure their safety.
“It was determined the fire had extended to the roof area, so obviously there is a fair amount of concern when we have a fire above us,” Rodger said.
“There is always the potential for a collapse so we just want to make sure the safety of our staff at this point in time is paramount.”
Fire investigators estimate damage to be $2 million.
The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time. Police and the fire department are investigating.
The business was formerly known as Saskatoon Event Centre and was previously home to Tequila Nightclub and Ryly’s Nightclub.
Traffic in the area was restricted for seven hours while firefighters fought the blaze.