Kelowna heritage house fire deemed accidental

A house fire in Kelowna had already engulfed much of the heritage home by the time firefighters got to the scene last night.

Kelowna Fire Department deemed their response as "defensive," working to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the house when they got to the 1900 block of McDougall Street.

They were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. yesterday, Oct. 20, to the accidental blaze in what appears to be one of Kelowna's heritage houses. The fire began inside the house and had already compromised its structural integrity by the time firefighters got there, according to a Kelowna Fire Department news release.

The homeowner was alerted by a fire alarm and escaped. No one was injured in the fire, according to the news release.

Firefighters used a ladder truck to extinguish a fire through the roof from above, and the home suffered "extensive" damage.

Four engines, a rescue unit and a command vehicle attended the scene, along with the ladder truck. Eighteen firefighters responded.

Five firefighters stayed at the home all night to watch for flare ups from the attic and roof.

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