It’s early Tuesday afternoon, and the 400 block of Geary Crescent is eerily quiet. The only sound on the suburban street is the faint whine of a whipper-snipper, operated by a man in the front yard of a home. Beside him are four empty lots where houses have been reduced to ash. Parked on the street is a partially-melted vehicle, its headlight, side mirror and bumper warped by heat.
Neighbours across the street stand on their front porch, looking out at the empty lots opposite their homes. Just four days before, on May 29, 32 firefighters were on the street in Saskatoon’s Hampton Village, responding to a blaze that destroyed four homes and damaged 20 properties in the neighbourhood on the city’s northwest edge. As of Thursday, the cause of the fire remained under investigation, with officials saying weather conditions played a major role in how quickly it spread.
The Scene of Destruction
A fence now surrounds the site of the four lost homes — piles of ash, twisted metal and the outlines of what used to be garages; melted garbage bins beside mangled bikes and the charred frames of vehicles. And amongst the burnt remains, odd things, like a plastic container of lentils, remain perfectly and strangely untouched.
Next door, the damage stops short of total loss. Two men on ladders cover the house with a tarp to protect its exposed frame. The backyard is scorched — trees burned black, a singed swing, and a garden gnome with part of its face melted away.
Personal Stories of Loss
Riley Struthers and Kristine Campbell had planned to host their June 20 wedding in that very backyard. Instead, they’re staying with family, unsure when they’ll be able to return home. Struthers’ father, who owns the house but asked not to be named, said the couple was home when Campbell “looked out the window and saw the smoke.” Within minutes, they fled with passports, money, laptops and their dog. By about 12:15 p.m., their neighbour’s house was already on fire, and firefighters worked from their roof to keep the flames from spreading further, he said.
He’s been dealing with the aftermath, including insurance calls and trying to get the power back on, but said the process has been slow and unclear. “Nobody really knows who to get a hold of,” he said. “After you talk to your insurance company, you’re just waiting on calls. I’m trying to figure out what to do next.”
Across the street, the fire’s reach is still visible. An ember carried by the wind burned into a deck, and the combination of heat and wind shattered a window and scorched siding.
A few houses down, a resident who was evacuated said he watched the fire unfold in real time, unsure whether his home would be next. “Yeah, it was scary. I never saw that much fire in my life,” said Satinder Singh, who was at work when he received a call from his in-laws, who were at home with his son. He returned home and stayed outside with his family for a few hours until the situation was under control.
A Chaotic Scene
Last Friday, it was a hot, dry and windy afternoon. People stood outside their homes watching fire crews, some wearing masks as smoke filled Geary Crescent, which was closed except for emergency vehicles and parents picking up children from a nearby daycare. Fire crews positioned on ladders above the homes targeted hotspots. Spray from firehoses could be felt from the street as crews positioned on ladders above the homes targeted hotspots from the rooftops. Others worked from the ground, stretched along hoses aimed into the burning structures.
Police went door to door, urging evacuations as wind pushed the fire through the block, warning residents it could spread further. A woman carried out two kennels from a home three doors downwind from the fire.
Community Response
In a social media post, Hampton Village resident Shaughn Wittman said he helped with the evacuation effort by knocking on doors as the fire jumped through the neighbourhood. According to an online fundraiser, one family lost their dog in the fire after their home was destroyed. The campaign, organized by a friend, describes how the couple and their young son lost everything they own.
Another fundraiser has been launched on behalf of several staff members from Da India Curry House who were living together in another of the destroyed homes. While everyone escaped safely, the post says they lost passports, personal documents, clothing and other belongings. The group did not have tenant insurance and are now working to rebuild from scratch, according to organizers. Their employer has helped arrange temporary accommodations and basic necessities, but organizers say the scale of the loss will require broader community support as they begin to rebuild their lives.
In response, members of the community have begun organizing support. Fraulin McGratten, co-owner of Sweets for My Sweets, has launched a fundraiser at her 33rd Street shop to help those affected. She said her motivation comes from personal experience; growing up in the Philippines, she said her family once lost nearly everything in a typhoon. The business is donating a portion of proceeds — including $3 from parfaits and $5 from donut packs — while also collecting cash donations and essential items such as towels and linens.
In the days since the fire, officials have pointed to the community response as a defining part of the aftermath. “When that very tragic house fire happened in Hampton Village last week, the rallying around of other resources is always apparent,” Mayor Cynthia Block said, noting that emergency crews had to run out to Warman for a fire on the same day. “We’re a province that looks after each other, and that’s good to know.”
Fundraising Campaigns
The following fundraising campaigns have been created to support families affected by the Geary Crescent fire:
- Jaime, Curtis and their young son, who lost all belongings, including their dog.
- Their neighbours, Dylan and Sophie, who escaped with their dog but lost their home.
- Da India Curry House staff members who were living together in one of the destroyed homes.
- Riley Struthers and Kristine Campbell, whose home remains standing but is currently uninhabitable.
