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Extreme cold hampers firefighters battling Saskatoon house fire

Saskatoon fire officials said a difficult structure and the extreme cold made battling a house fire more difficult. Saskatoon Fire Department / Supplied

It took over three hours for Saskatoon firefighters to bring a house fire under control as they had to deal with the extreme cold conditions.

Crews were called to the 1700 block of Avenue C North just before 8 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a structure fire, the Saskatoon Fire Department said in a release.

Firefighters said they arrived to find flames coming from multiple basement windows of the raised bungalow.

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An exterior attack was started and crews attempted to enter the home once it was determined conditions were acceptable, officials said.

They had to retreat after determining the floor was extensively damaged and it was unsafe to enter the main floor.

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Of concern for the firefighters was the possibility of someone trapped in a basement suite, fire officials said.

A primary search could not be undertaken until conditions improved, but firefighters said they were informed the occupant was at another location.

One firefighter received a puncture wound while working around the exterior of the home and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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