Early-morning strip mall fire guts four stores, damages others in Kelowna, B.C.

KELOWNA, B.C. – Four businesses have been destroyed in a fierce overnight fire at a mall near central Kelowna, B.C.

Firefighters arrived at the scene just after 1 a.m. to find flames raging in three businesses and eventually spreading to a fourth.

Crews worked through the night to save the remaining businesses in the Burtch Plaza, but the fire has destroyed a sports store, pizza outlet, paint-it-yourself ceramics store and a shop selling water treatment products.

A restaurant in the 14-unit mall has also been affected and several other businesses have smoke and water damage.

Dozens of residents were evacuated from an apartment building next door to the mall but were allowed to return several hours later.

No one was hurt and a cause of the blaze remains under investigation. (CKQQ)