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VIDEO: Car on fire halts highway traffic near Armstrong
ARMSTRONG - A vehicle on fire in the middle of Highway 97 A near Armstrong tied up traffic for about an hour Wednesday afternoon. The Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department was dispatched to the scene, just north of Eagle Rock Road, about 1:30 p.m. April 22. Fire chief Ian Cummings says a Volkswagen was completely engulfed...
Woman on scooter struck downtown Vernon
VERNON - A Vernon woman suffered minor injuries Wednesday afternoon when her scooter was struck by a vehicle downtown. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says it’s unclear what led to the accident at the intersection of 30 Street and 28 Avenue, but police are investigating. “Not sure whether the scooter came out too suddenly, or...
What Vernon firefighters hope you do differently to prevent another tragedy
VERNON - Conditions at a fire scene this week gave crews flashbacks to conditions that killed an Enderby firefighter several years ago, and the Vernon Fire Department is now issuing a public warning in the hopes of preventing another tragedy. Crews responded to a dumpster fire around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, on 14 Avenue,...
Vernon firefighters come to aid of entrapped person
VERNON - Emergency crews freed two people trapped in a car after an accident Tuesday morning. According to Vernon Fire and Rescue Services, there was a two vehicle accident just after 8 a.m. in the 4300 block of 32 Street. The driver and passenger in one of the vehicles involved were trapped inside until firefighters...
Molotov cocktail chucked at Vernon church
VERNON - Police and the Fire Department are investigating after a molotov cocktail was thrown at the Vernon Family Church Monday night. Deputy Fire Chief Lawrie Skolrood says a nearby resident noticed a large flame around 7:30 p.m. outside the church, located on 25 Avenue, and phoned 911. “It’s very fortunate the building was stucco...
Windstorm forces Lumby residents from their homes
VERNON - Lumby residents were evacuated from their homes over the weekend due to a major windstorm. Around 7 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 14, RCMP officers were called to a home in the 400 block of Mabel Lake Road in Lumby for a hydro hazard caused by the wind. “The wind blew a portable carport up...
Home burns as water woes hamper fire response
KELOWNA — A fire that destroyed a log home in the hills behind Kelowna International Airport is a reminder of the risk that can come with living in semi-rural ares—the fire-fighting effort was hampered by the lack of a nearby fire hydrant and compounded by steep terrain and icy roads. “It dramatically affected our efforts,”...
Alarm fails when fire catches in Vernon home
VERNON - Fire forced three Vernon women out of their home in the middle of the night. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says the smell of smoke in their 33 Street residence woke them up around 12:30 a.m. this morning, Jan. 9. “They were very lucky they woke up,” Blair says. “It could’ve been a...
NEWSMAKERS 2014: String of arsons go down as worst in recent memory
THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR. TODAY: NUMBER THREE VERNON - Authorities called it the worst fire-setting spree in recent memory, and with the close of 2014, we still don’t know who’s responsible. Over 20 fires were set across the city this past year, beginning in late spring...
Driver snuffs out own car fire outside Vernon gas station
VERNON - An out-of-town driver’s quick thinking stopped a vehicle fire from being much worse than it was. Vernon Fire Chief Keith Green says a driver pulled into 7-Eleven on 39 Avenue Thursday around noon and noticed smoke coming out of the hood. “(He) used the gas station’s fire extinguisher to out the fire out...
Fire burns Enderby shop to the ground
ENDERBY - An Enderby dairy farmer suffered major losses in a fire early Monday morning. Enderby fire chief Kevin Alstad says the homeowner awoke to a loud bang about 1:20 a.m. When he looked out the door, he saw a detached shop near the house was consumed in fire. By the time 23 Enderby firefighters...
Vernon firefighters prepare to torch pine beetle deadfall
VERNON - The Vernon Fire Department is planning to fight fire with fire this month. In conjunction with the Ministry of Forests, Vernon Fire and Rescue Services will be burning 500 acres above the Rise Golf Course, extending back toward Canadian Lake Estates. The property has a large build-up of deadfall from mountain pine beetles...
Smoke alarm saves Lumby man’s life
LUMBY - A Lumby senior was fast asleep when smoke and flames started spreading through his house. Luckily, his smoke detector woke him up and he managed to flee the building. Lumby Fire Chief Tony Clayton says the man was taken to Vernon Jubilee Hospital to be checked out for smoke inhalation. “The smoke alarm...
Southwest hills ablaze in possible logging fire
PENTICTON - A fire that began burning on Penticton Indian Band land Wednesday night is being controlled by the Band Fire Department, however it will take a few days to burn out since it is too large a fire to put out. Dispatch received calls about the fire on the Southwest hills just before 7...
Former teacher pays price for theft
PENTICTON - A former Osoyoos school teacher got a conditional sentence after embezzling $42,000 from the Osoyoos Rural Fire Protection District, the organization for which he was a volunteer secretary treasurer. Michael R. McWhinnie, born in 1946, appeared in Penticton Provincial Court Monday where he was sentenced by Judge Gregory Koturbash to a 12-month conditional...
Suspicious Vernon fires are back
VERNON - A recent spike in suspicious fire activity has the community wondering if Vernon’s alleged serial arsonist is back. The city was hit with over 20 suspected arsons during the summer, from burnt grandstands to torched boats, but there hadn’t been any new fires since September until recently. A construction site suspiciously caught fire...
Second suspicious fire in four days worries Vernon Fire Department
VERNON - Authorities are investigating a second suspicious fire in four days. Firefighters fought a fully engulfed metal recycling bin blaze at the Interior Freight and Bottle Depot on 24 Avenue at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says. Crews managed to suppress the fire, which was called in by a resident...
Penticton gets two more fire fighters and home-base training
PENTICTON - The city is expanding its firefighting resources by adding three personnel, including a training officer, to the team. Two firefighters and a training officer will be hired to start January 1, 2015. Discussions with the Penticton Indian Band led the city to expand its coverage area and allow the band’s volunteer firefighters to...
Authorities investigate suspicious fire at Vernon construction site
VERNON - Police and the fire department are investigating a suspected arson at a construction site in Vernon last night. The fire department was dispatched around 9:50 p.m. Oct. 16 to the fire, located in a three-story building under construction in the 2700 block of 41 Avenue. “We caught it early, it could’ve been a...
Son fundraises for parents who lost home in fire
PENTICTON - The children of Penticton house fire victims are fundraising money to help get their parents back on their feet. Last Thursday, the house at 313 Norton Street went up in flames, taking down the roof and leaving much of the building destroyed. The couple living in the home were renters, and have been...
House fire takes down roof, everyone safe
PENTICTON - The roof of a Penticton home came crashing down in flames last night after flames originated in the home’s kitchen. Penticton Fire Department was called at 8:40 p.m. Thursday night to attend a possible kitchen fire at 313 Norton Street. Two engines and six fire fighters attended the scene, and two additional alarms...
Safety measures sought for dangerous stretch of Highway 97
LAKE COUNTRY - In the aftermath of two fatal accidents, officials in Lake Country are calling for the addition of a concrete median between Beaver Lake Road and the Kelowna Airport. In July, an elderly couple and a 14-year-old passenger believed to be their grandson were fatally injured after crossing the centre line and colliding...
Investigation into abandoned house fire underway
VERNON - An investigation is underway following an overnight fire in Vernon. Fire officials and police are looking into a small fire at an abandoned house in the 2800 block of 30 Avenue. The fire broke out around 12:30 a.m. Friday and while considered minor, has the attention of investigators. Over the summer, Vernon saw...
Catastrophic electrical failure sparks Coldstream mill fire
COLDSTREAM - Employees at a lumber mill in Coldstream saw sudden, lightning-like flashes followed by flames after an electrical malfunction almost burnt down the entire facility. Investigators believe they have found the cause of Tuesday’s vicious fire at Coldstream Lumber, just off Highway 6 on Ricardo Road. Coldstream fire chief Shane Code says a combination of...