UPDATE: Elderly woman dies in Summerland house fire

A 78-year-old woman died in a Summerland house fire yesterday afternoon and investigators say it started in a barbecue.

Emergency crews were called to the home on Canyon View Road at around 2 p.m. yesterday, April 18, according to an RCMP media release.

The elderly woman shared the home with one other person, who wasn't inside at the time of the fire, but discovered the woman's body while emergency crews were at the scene, RCMP said.

The BC Coroners Service was called to help with the investigation. The woman who died in the fire hasn't been identified.

RCMP said the cause of the fire was accidental and likely started in the barbecue. It isn't considered criminal or suspicious.

— This story was updated at 11:42 a.m. Tuesday, April 18, 2023, with additional information from RCMP.

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