Saskatoon police are trying to determine why a 41-year-old man doused himself with gasoline inside a provincial government building and threatened to set himself on fire.

Constable TishaRae Stonehouse said the incident happened just after 11 a.m. on October 8.

The incident unfolded at a Saskatchewan Government Insurance office.

Constable Stonehouse said a male bystander saw that the man had some kind of device in his hand and was trying to create a spark.

The bystander grabbed the man and police quickly arrived to take him into custody.

The suspect was taken to hospital and police say charges are pending.