Close shave at the OK Barber Shop

PENTICTON – The quick actions of the Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department helped save the community’s only barber shop early this morning, June 10.

Firefighters were called to Main Street and Ninth Avenue shortly after midnight to find flames racing up the west side of the OK Barber Shop.

“It appears to have started in the eaves. We extinguished it fairly quickly, but took some time to check the attic to ensure there were no fire extensions into the building,” Okanagan Falls Fire Chief Bob Haddow says.

Twelve firefighters, B.C. Ambulance and RCMP also attended the scene.

The fire charred a portion of the exterior wall and burned some of the soffit. Firefighters tore the remaining soffit down to ensure the fire hadn’t spread to the attic.

“I’m just relieved they caught it in time,” barber Daniel Markin says.

Markin received a call from his landlord, who lives in back of the building, around 12:35 a.m. By the time he arrived on scene, the fire was extinguished.

“Another 10 minutes and I could have lost everything,” he says.

Markin says he was no sooner in his shop this morning when one of his customers came in, anxious for a haircut. The building’s power had been cut but Markin was able to run an extension cord to the business next door in order to get back to work.

“The fire department is calling the cause undetermined, but the police are investigating,” Markin says.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.