Update: Saturday, 11:40 a.m.
The cause of the fire was accidental.
The fire started in the workshop area in the garage, but investigators were unable to determine the exact source, according to the West Kelowna fire department.
Original:
It was an unlucky night for a fire in West Kelowna on Friday, Oct. 13.
At approximately 10:46 p.m. Friday night, West Kelowna Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire in the 3000 block of Ortoland Road in Lakeview Heights.
When the first engine arrived on scene, it provided an initial size-up and reported a working fire with light-grey smoke showing from the attached garage of a single-family residence.
Two engine crews worked to established a water supply up a long driveway. Firefighters initially stretched an attack-line to the main entrance of the home, according to the fire department. After forcing entry into the home, the attack-line was advanced into the garage in order to confine and extinguish the fire.
The fire had already escaped from the garage area of the home and was burning in the common walls between the garage and the rest of the home. Fire also breached the ceiling and had spread into the floor above the garage area, according to the West Kelowna fire department.
A second attack-line was advanced into the home and to the second floor where firefighters were able to search for victims and check for fire extension, according to the department.
The fire had burned out a section of floor and was burning the contents of a bedroom on the second floor.
Once the fire in the garage and the bedroom were under control, crews continued to search the home for victims. When it was confirmed that no residents were in the home at the time of the fire, crews concentrated on extinguishing remaining hot-spots and ventilating smoke.
The home is occupied by three residents that were not home at the time of the fire. The residents will be staying with family in the area and did not require emergency support services.
Due to the amount of fire involvement in the home a fire-watch detail was left on-scene overnight. The preliminary investigation of the fire is incomplete. West Kelowna fire investigators will return to the scene in the morning to continue their investigation.
West Kelowna Fire Rescue responded with a total of four engines, one water tender, one command unit, and one safety unit for a total of 24 firefighters on scene. West Kelowna Firefighters were supported by West Kelowna RCMP, BC Ambulance Service , City of West Kelowna Utilities, BC Hydro and Fortis Gas, according to the fire department.
