Saskatchewan encampment fires raise concerns over safety, supports [Video]

Homeless encampments have been a topic of debate for years in Saskatchewan. And after multiple fires in Saskatoon and Regina over the last few weeks, safety concerns are rising.

Saskatoon’s University Bridge was closed this week after an encampment fire. Aside from closing the bridge, it also melted a sewer line, spilling hundreds of gallons of sewage into the river and surrounding area.

The bridge has since reopened with restrictions, but Saskatoon’s deputy fire chief, Rob Hogan, said unregulated fires pose significant safety risks regardless of why they were lit.

“Our concerns with encampment fires are they’re quite often using a heating source that is not conducive to the environment they’re around,” Hogan said. “So if they’re in a tent or in a makeshift shelter, there’s not proper ventilation. They’re not using a proper heating source. There is no safety in that.”

It’s a concern echoed in Regina, as deputy …