Fire
Cause of motel fire undetermined
PENTICTON - The investigation into last week's fire at the Pass Motor Inn in Penticton won't offer the answers interested parties are looking for. After a thorough inspection of the burned-out unit in which the fire began Penticton fire inspector Mike Richards reported this week the fire department was unable to determine the exact cause...
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...
UPDATE: Police investigating fire at Pass Motor Inn
PET BELIEVED DEAD IN FIRE PENTICTON - Penticton firefighters battled a blaze that broke out last night at the Pass Motor Inn, located at 2307 Skaha Lake Road. Firefighters were called to the scene at roughly 8:30 p.m., Dec. 30, according to a media release from RCMP. The building was evacuated while firefighters worked to...
Small furnace fire quickly snuffed
KELOWNA — Residents at a home on Cook Road managed to keep a furnace fire at bay with their own fire extinguisher before fire crews arrived to put it out. Platoon Capt. Steve Wallick says they were called to the scene in the 600 block last night, Dec. 29. They extinguished the blaze and ventilated...
UPDATE: Smith Creek fire now 30 per cent contained
WEST KELOWNA – Some positive news from the fire lines at the Smith Creek wildfire burning in West Kelowna Saturday morning. B.C. Wildfire Management is reporting the 260 hectare blaze is now 30 per cent contained. The perimeter contained is the area of the fire closest to the 1,100 evacuated homes. The cooler temperatures, higher humidity...
Cooler, wet forecast could help Thompson-Okanagan fire crews
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A little help is in the forecast for fire crews this week as Mother Nature dials down the temperatures and throws in a little rain. While temperatures will be near normal (26-29 Celsius) across the region for the next two days we can also expect to see rain today with a 40 per...
VIDEO: Smith Creek fire from above and by the numbers
KELOWNA - Take a guess: How much water have fire crews dropped on the Smith Creek fire over the past week and a half? Would you believe more than 1.2 million litres? As of Monday morning helicopters had flown more than 100 hours, skimmers had dropped more than 300 loads of water and foam and...
City focuses on flood cleanup, tallying property damage
KAMLOOPS – While the flooding may have stopped, the City of Kamloops now has cleanup to worry about after buckets of rain scattered debris and poured through several buildings around town – including City Hall. “I don’t know the extent of (the damage),” City of Kamloops Manager Mike Firlotte says about the flooding at the...
Fire at Vernon restaurant deemed suspicious
VERNON - Police and the Vernon Fire Department are looking into the cause of a suspicious fire at the New Delhi Restaurant in Vernon. Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says the fire started inside the building sometime before 3:15 a.m. when the building’s sprinkler system went off and triggered an alarm. Firefighters forced their way...
WorkSafe BC report shows new dual-investigation tool following mill explosions
VICTORIA – Workplace disasters that kill or injure employees in British Columbia are now more likely to result in criminal charges with the introduction of a new investigation model that improves the chances of prosecutions, says a WorkSafeBC administrator.
Firefighters called to apartment fire on De Montreuil Crt.
KELOWNA - Residents were evacuated when a fire broke out in a second floor apartment at 3175 De Montreuil Crt. in Kelowna Monday afternoon. Shortly after 1 p.m. Dec. 8, 2014 firefighters received a call about the fire at Willowbrook Gardens. When they arrived they found a mattress was in open flame in a bedroom...
Suspicious fire at Kelowna care home
KELOWNA – Staff and residents at a Kelowna care home in the Mission were forced to evacuate Saturday after a small, deliberately set fire. Kelowna Fire Rescue received an alarm from the White Heather Care Home at 3728 Casorso Rd. The small fire in the activity room was put out by the building’s sprinkler system...
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...
Overnight fire contained to vehicle
KELOWNA — Firefighters were able to prevent a car fire from spreading to a home last night. Kelowna Fire Department was called shortly after 11 p.m. Dec. 3 to 1606 Lindsay Drive. Platoon Capt. Kelly Stephens says they found a car with flames coming from the engine compartment. It was in the driveway not far from...
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...