A house went up in flames in West Kelowna overnight but all residents and pets escaped safely.
The West Kelowna Fire Rescue responded to a call for a house on fire in the 2400 block of Thacker Drive in West Kelowna shortly after 1:30 a.m. on March 22.
The homeowner was sound asleep at the time of the fire and was woken up by a Good Samaritan who saw the flames and pounded on the door alerting the resident inside.
First arriving crews reported that the cedar shake roof of the home was ablaze with flames growing rapidly.
Crews immediately hit the fire with the deck gun from Engine 32, spraying water around the home to extinguish the blaze. The fire was deep-seated in the roof structure and proved difficult to fully extinguish.
“However, crews were able to pull the ceilings and get sufficient volumes of water into the roof spaces to knock the fire down and save the rest of the home,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brent Watson.
The home suffered significant water damage, in addition to a burnt and partially collapsed roof.
The fire department responded with four engines, a command unit and a safety truck. BC Ambulance, RCMP and FortisBC also attended.
The fire is not considered suspicious and is currently under investigation. Initial findings suggest that the blaze may have been caused by a wood stove. The house is insured and no pets or residents were injured.
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