Early morning house fire made worse by lack of smoke alarm

KELOWNA – A house fire on Badke Road early Thursday morning might have been snuffed earlier if the residents had a working smoke alarm.

Platoon Captain Laurie Serres says 15 firefighters were called to a minor house fire at 2:51 a.m. after residents noticed the sounds and smell of fire coming from the attic.

“There was some flame at the front entrance which was quickly extinguished,” Serres says. “The fire had extended into the attic space so part of the ceiling was taken down to gain access.”

There were no injuries and all members of the household were out by the time fire crews arrived.

“The fire had started at the front entrance, probable cause was smoking materials,” Serres says. “The smoke alarm had been disabled, if it had been working it would have alerted the residents much earlier.”

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.