Brody Langager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Fires under the University Bridge have been a yearly occurrence over the past few years, causing damage and costing the city a lot of money.
On Sunday, wastewater spilled out after a fire melted a sanitary sewer line under the bridge.
Here are some things worth knowing about the most recent fire, and what the city is doing to address the issue.
1 — Review underway
The Saskatoon Emergency Management Organization is potentially creating more solutions to mitigate trespassing on the University Bridge by putting together an after-action review.
Work on the review is expected to take until the end of spring to finish.
City officials said they carefully considered options to deter access to the underside of the bridge while still allowing accessibility for things like bridge inspections and utility work.
The last fire in 2025 was tucked away in a confined space.
“It is difficult to get in there to begin with. If you make it like a prison, we can’t inspect the bridge,” Fire Chief Doug Wegren said after a bridge fire in 2023.
2 — Current prevention measures
This isn’t the first time the city has looked into ways to prevent people from climbing up under the bridge.
Barbed wire and fencing was put up to deter people, with a price tag of $256,000.
Brendan Lemke, the city’s director of water and waste operations, said city council will need to decide if additional measures should be put in place.
He said he’s not aware of any security cameras placed in the area by the city.
3 — A straightforward fix
Lemke suggested repairs could be straightfoward, but the parts required aren’t “standard, off the shelf” items.
He said they need to see what parts are available for purchase, as retailers rarely sell materials in small quantities.
“A week is probably a reasonable timeline. Definitely crossing our fingers to be a bit faster than that,” Lemke said on Monday.
The pipes — a type of plastic called high density polyethylene — may not have ever been replaced, Lemke said, adding they likely haven’t been touched since the bridge rehabilitation in 2015.
He said the plastic melted the top half of the pipe due to the fluid moving through it, acting as a cooling agent.
Lemke said any surge or turbulent flow is what came out of the pipe.
4 — Cause and damage
While the fire is considered suspicious, inspectors said they don’t know exactly how it was started. There were people in the secured area where the fire originated, the city said.
No structural damage was done to the bridge. The city said it’s too early to know what the final cost will be.
Last year’s bridge fire cost the city around $90,000, but Lemke said this year’s fire likely won’t cost as much since it was easier to reach.
