Cause of West Kelowna wildfire still unknown

KELOWNA – West Kelowna Fire Rescue has concluded its investigation into a wildfire last week that forced nine families to evacuate.

Fire chief Jason Brolund says all they have learned conclusively is that the wildfire was “accidental.”

“When it comes to fire investigation we don’t speculate,” he says. “Unless we can be sure… we won’t put out a best guess.”

Brolund won’t even confirm if the fire was human caused, only that it wasn’t lightning or caused by a fuel source.

“We just weren’t able to accurately determine the ignition source,” he says. “Speculation is not in anybody’s best interests.”

Ten homes were evacuated the afternoon of June 17, on Scott Crescent in the Diamond View subdivision as a brush fire burned up the steep hillside from Westside Road.

The approximately two-hectare fire was extinguished after a plane dropped retardant and a helicopter dropped water. 

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