Temperatures as low as 25 ° C made it difficult to put out a St. Stephen’s Day house fire, the West Kelowna fire marshal said.
Just before 9 p.m. on December 26, West Kelowna Fire Rescue firefighters responded to reports of a fire inside a home on Menu Road in the Lakeview Heights neighborhood of West Kelowna.
“The first crews to arrive found a fire burning within the walls and concealed spaces of the newly constructed residence,” Chief Jason Brolund said. “The fire spread rapidly and more crews from all West Kelowna stations responded.”
Brolund added that the cold weather was a big challenge.
“The firefighters faced temperatures of -25 C and remain in place at 6 am and continue to fight the persistent fire,” he said.
“Firefighters protected other nearby houses to make sure the fire didn’t spread. A small number were affected by runoff and ice build-up from firefighting operations. Additional public works crews were hired to help with runoff, ice and slippery conditions. “
BC Transit also came to provide a warm bus as a shelter for the firefighters.
There were no injuries to the occupants or the firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation but is not believed to be suspicious, Brolund said.
The occupants of the house stay with others.
WKFR will remain on the scene for the next several hours to address hot spots and outbreaks. The gate on Menu Road has been temporarily opened to allow residents who were blocked by a hose and a fire apparatus to pass through.
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