One of the largest structure fires experienced in Saskatoon occurred just three days prior to the 42nd anniversary of the Queen’s Hotel fire.

It was 42 years ago on May 31, a fire at the Queen’s Hotel in downtown Saskatoon claimed the lives of two Saskatoon Fire Department firefighters: Victor Budz and Dennis Guenter. Files from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix archives indicate Budz and Guenter were caught in a backdraft.

Saskatoon’s Fire Chief Morgan Hackl says the fire on Friday night and into the morning Saturday on 108th Street in Saskatoon started because of improper disposal of smoking material close to the building and because the plastic container being used didn’t have sand or water at the bottom to put the smoking materials out.

There was $5 million damage to the building, 23 of 24 suites were occupied at the time of the blaze, five people had to be rescued, firefighters arrived two-and-a-half minutes after the alarm sounded and spent more than 14 hours at the site with more than 80 staff rotating to fight the fire.

There is a memorial statue of Budz and Guenter at Fire Hall No. 6 and a memorial plaque dedicated to the two fallen firefighters was unveiled in 2016 on the north wall of the Scotiabank Theatre.