Fire
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...
RCMP investigate car fire at Boyd Autobody
PENTICTON - Police are investigating two arson cases from a local auto body shop, one which was successful in setting a car on fire. RCMP received a call around 4:40 a.m. Friday from a security guard at Boyd Autobody in Penticton. Someone broke into the shop and started a car fire, which has caused smoke...
Half of all wildfires caused by people this year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A total of 169, or 49.9 per cent, of all wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been human-caused this year. Kayla Pepper of B.C. Wildfire says of the 339 fires in the fire centre we are about as close to half as you can get right now, though usually lightning fires outnumber...
Spallumcheen home burns to the ground
SPALLUMCHEEN – When fire crews arrived at a home in Spallumcheen Sunday night, half the house was already consumed by fire and the flames were roaring out of control. Armstrong and Spallumcheen fire chief Ian Cummings says they were called out just before 7 p.m. to a home on Demorest Road. It’s a long, narrow,...
Wildfire burning off Green Mountain Road 80 per cent contained
PENTICTON - The wildfire burning west of Penticton near Shingle Creek and Green Mountain Road is 80 per cent contained as of Tuesday morning. The fire is estimated to be 18.5 hectares in size and was quite visible when it began burning late Monday afternoon. There were five firefighters working overnight, and 26 firefighters are...
UPDATE: Wildfire burning north of Princeton 90 per cent contained
PRINCETON - A wildfire north of Princeton is 90 per cent contained, as of Tuesday morning. The wildfire has grown to 182 hectares from the 110 ha estimated Monday morning. It is believed to be human caused, said Kayla Pepper, fire information officer with B.C. Wildfire. The fire was first reported Sunday at around 5...
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...
Crews work overnight to calm blaze between Oliver and Osoyoos
PENTICTON - A wildfire continues to burn between Osoyoos and Oliver in the Inkaneep and Mica Creek area. The fire is estimated to be 18 hectares in size as of Tuesday morning. It is burning Northeast of Osoyoos and Southeast of Oliver. No structures are threatened. There were 19 personnel on site Monday plus two...
Small fire forces evacuation at Mission Meadows
KELOWNA - A small fire in the kitchen of a first floor condo on Casorso Road forced the evacuation of the Mission Meadows complex Tuesday. The building's fire alarm system notified Kelowna Fire at 11:39 a.m. at the same time a neighbour noticed smoke coming from unit 108 directly opposite the main entrance and lobby. Captain...
Workers return to burnt Coldstream lumber mill
VERNON - The employees of a Coldstream business are back at work after fire forced them from their posts August 12. Coldstream Lumber president Johnal Lee says all 40 workers were back in the building Wednesday morning. “We’re super happy,” Lee says. “We were under a lot of stress because of the impact, number one...
Grass fire near Naramata fully contained
PENTICTON - A grass and open timbre fire burning north of Naramata on Naramata Road yesterday is now fully contained. The Naramata Fire Department is on scene and B.C. Wildfire has three personnel on site to help with mop up with another three-person crew to join later. A five-person Wildfire crew plus 10 fire fighters...
Trio of children arrested for setting fire to elementary school
SALMON ARM - An arson at a Salmon Arm elementary school was made even more troubling by the fact its perpetrators were children. Salmon Arm RCMP arrested a six, eight and 10-year-old in connection with a fire at South Broadview Elementary. The kids were picked up by police shortly after the 1:30 p.m. blaze on...
Garbage truck contents catch fire during morning run
VERNON - A truck driver dumped a load of flaming garbage in the parking lot of a Vernon high school Monday morning. Vernon Fire Capt. Reinhard Mann says a Waste Management employee had picked up a load of garbage elsewhere in Vernon when he noticed smoke billowing out from the back of the truck. He...
Oliver home engulfed in flames
OLIVER - A home in Oliver was engulfed in flames early Friday morning. Firefighters were able to take control of the blaze and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring houses. Police said the home at 6036 Station Street was unoccupied and and it does not appear that anyone was hurt. Police are investigating the fire...
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...