Saturday night apartment fire caused by a broken wire next to mechanical box

Fire officials have determined a broken wire was the cause of the blaze that engulfed a 32-unit apartment complex late Saturday.

The investigator says there was a break in the wires next to the mechanical box in an attic service room, which caused a spark and quickly ignited the roof.

Crews responded to the blaze on Hanbidge Crescent just before midnight and took more than five hours before it was under control.

“It took the firefighters most of the night to extinguish the fire. We’ll say that all residents evacuated safely, which is certainly good news,” Regina Fire Marshall Randy Ryba said.

The building sustained extensive damage along with the adjacent building and more than 50 people are now homeless.

“The west most building is severely damaged with water, smoke and heat. The east side not so much, but that building will be uninhabitable for many, many months at the very least,” Ryba said.

Ryba says it was a case where preventative measures were almost impossible.

“This can happen over months and actually years if a piece of conductor or connections in the box has been compromised due to installation or mechanical damage, crushing or etc.,” Ryba said.

“Or the expansion-contraction due to the temperature extremes or if the installation doesn’t have enough slack for the wires to expand and contract.”

According to a former resident, those who lived on the first three floors were allowed to go inside and grab any remaining personal items.

The scene has now been turned over to the property management company and there’s no word on what the company plans to do with the building.