Fire
Worker taken to hospital following dryer fire at Kelowna retirement home
KELOWNA - Nearly 40 people were evacuated and one taken to hospital following an early morning fire at a retirement home on Casorso Road. Fire crews responded to alarms at White Heather Manor around 1:50 a.m., Jan. 6, to find employees evacuating 39 residents, according to Platoon Capt. Tim Light. Firefighters were told the fire...
Displaced Kamloops family looks to donations for support after boxing day fire
KAMLOOPS - A bit of smoke in a closet turned into a Boxing Day nightmare for a family of four living in the Brocklehurst neighbourhood, but thankfully some support is rolling in to help them rebuild their home. Gin Donovan is accepting donations of household items and money for her sister Heather Wilton’s family who...
Charges laid against man who barricaded himself in Shuswap home, lit it on fire
SALMON ARM - A man accused of barricading himself inside a home and lighting it on fire during a bizarre episode in the Shuswap is facing criminal charges. Adolf Albert Edward Hemmerling, in his 40s, is charged with uttering threats and arson damaging property, in relation to the Dec. 20, 2015 incident. Hemmerling allegedly barricaded...
Charges no longer being pursued against man accused of Kal Park arson
VERNON - A conviction is no longer being pursued against a North Okanagan man facing arson charges in connection to a fire in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park last summer. Justin Rees, 24, was charged with one count of arson damaging property following the June 12 fire near Juniper Bay. At the time, authorities said the...
Crews keep Kelowna storage shed fire from spreading
KELOWNA - A fire in a Kelowna industrial area was quickly knocked down before it could spread last night. Crews were called out to a structure fire in the 1000 block of Ethel Street near Weddell Place around 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, according to Platoon Capt. Eric Simpson. When they arrived they found a...
Block heater suspected cause of Vernon truck fire
VERNON - A block heater appears to be the culprit behind a weekend vehicle fire. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says a Ford F350 caught fire around 4:39 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 29 in the area of Windsor Place. “It was parked within three feet of a house,” Skolrood says. “It was close enough to do...
UPDATE: One person in custody as RCMP investigate potential arson at Kamloops motel
KAMLOOPS - One person is in custody following a fire at a local motel yesterday, as RCMP investigate a potential arson. The fire destroyed one unit and affected neighbouring hotel rooms at the Star Lodge motel on Columbia Street yesterday, Nov. 11, Kamloops Fire Rescue Platoon Capt. Rob Chalmers says. “There were no injuries from what...
Help for Malakwa truck stop workers left jobless after fire
MALAKWA - A fundraising initiative is underway to help support employees of the popular Skyline Truck Stop, which burned to the ground earlier this week in Malakwa. “Not only did we lose a place of employment, the only source of income for some families in a small community that has next to no jobs, but...
Devastating fire leaves big hole in Malakwa community
MALAKWA - Those who visited the Skyline Truck Stop in Malakwa always left with a full tank, and a full belly. The popular roadside gas station, machine shop and restaurant was a fixture in the rural Shuswap community for decades, and while a devastating fire wiped out the building earlier this week, it hasn’t erased...
Malakwa truck stop devastated by fire
MALAKWA - Emergency crews are at the scene of a major fire at a truck stop on Highway 1 in Malakwa. The Skyline Truck Stop located on the Trans Canada in Malakwa broke out in flames today, Nov. 2. Images show the structure is severely damaged. There is no word yet on whether anyone was...
Another vehicle fire under investigation in Vernon
VERNON - For the third time this month, authorities were called to the scene of a burning vehicle in Vernon. Firefighters were called out at 1:34 a.m. today, Oct. 26, after a truck was reported to be on fire on 35 Avenue in downtown Vernon. Deputy Vernon Fire Chief Jack Blair says the pickup truck...
GORDON TRIAL: Neighbour describes house fire which led to woman’s death
KAMLOOPS - A man who witnessed a fire on St. Paul Street in downtown Kamloops two years ago says he remembers hearing a pounding on his door before his neighbour told him in a panic that his house was on fire and there were people inside. Devyn Skeels testified in front of a jury today,...
Firefighters tackle burning truck in Vernon
VERNON - Firefighters were called out to battle a vigorous vehicle fire Monday evening. The fire, which happened around 9:30 p.m., Oct. 19, in the 8800 block of Rising View Way in Vernon, left a pickup truck fully engulfed in flames. The Vernon Fire Department hit the fire hard, and were able to extinguish it....
Destructive Vernon fire deemed suspicious
VERNON - Police are appealing to the public for tips as they investigate a recent fire. The Oct. 14 blaze destroyed three vehicles at a property on Davidson Road. Police and the Vernon Fire Department were called to extinguish the fire just after 4 a.m. Among the wreckage was a commercial truck and two personal...
Crews respond to Harvey Avenue roof fire
KELOWNA - A smouldering roof fire on a building under renovation was quickly extinguished last night. Crews were called to the 1500 block of Harvey Avenue around 9:20 p.m. yesterday, Oct. 8. Firefighters found the fire smouldering in the roof and were able to expose it and extinguish it. Platoon Capt. Tim Light says the...