Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

fire department

Vernon firefighters rescue man stuck in dumpster

VERNON - Emergency responders in Vernon recently came to the aid of a man in a rotten situation. Reported as a 'confined space rescue,' the unusual incident occurred when a man was taking out his garbage around 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. He accidentally tossed his keys in the dumpster along with the trash, and...

Another vehicle fire under investigation in Vernon

VERNON - For the third time this month, authorities were called to the scene of a burning vehicle in Vernon.  Firefighters were called out at 1:34 a.m. today, Oct. 26, after a truck was reported to be on fire on 35 Avenue in downtown Vernon. Deputy Vernon Fire Chief Jack Blair says the pickup truck...

Communities on edge: Thompson-Okanagan fire officials field calls for false alarms

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fire appears to be at the forefront of many peoples’ minds across the Thompson-Okanagan. With wildfires burning across the province and a blanket of smoke from Washington hanging in the air, fire officials say they are receiving a number of reports which are in fact nothing more than false alarms. In the North...

Police investigating apartment fire that left two Vernon men with severe burns

VERNON - A pair of Vernon men were airlifted to Vancouver last week after suffering serious burns in an apartment fire. The two men, ages 20 and 21, were inside an apartment building in the 3400 block of Okanagan Avenue when a fire started in the bathroom. Deputy Vernon Fire Chief Jack Blair says they...

Boat sinks itself doing stunts on Okanagan Lake

KELOWNA - A boat that sunk Sunday night in Okanagan Lake may have sunk itself by doing doughnuts. “That’s what it looks like. On a calm surface, you won’t have much issue but if you do doughnuts, you’re now churning up the water and creating an unstable situation for the boat,” RCMP spokesman Const. Steve...

People ignoring campfire ban in Okanagan

‘THERE’S THE ODD FEW THAT DON’T THINK THE BAN APPLIES TO THEM’ VERNON - Fire officials in Vernon are surprised some people are still not getting the message about the importance of campfire bans. Twice Monday night, the Vernon Fire Department was called to illegal campfires in peoples’ backyards, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says....

HELSTON: One tiny, burning ember can do a lot of damage

All of us were reminded this week how destructive fire can be, in so many different ways. On Tuesday night, we saw how fire can take down a building in mere hours, leaving nothing but ash and rubble. It’s awe-inspiring in the most horrific way. But the physical damage is just the beginning. When Vernon’s...

Emergency crews responding to large fire downtown Vernon

VERNON - A large fire is burning near Vernon’s Village Green Mall. Reports say the fire broke out at the Vernon social assistance office on 48 Avenue, behind the Petro Canada gas station. A tower of smoke can be seen from across the city. Emergency crews are at the scene working to contain the blaze....

Careless use of flare guns believed to have sparked Kal Park blaze

VERNON - A fire in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park Tuesday night is believed to have been caused by reckless behaviour. Coldstream fire chief Dave Sturgeon says crews responded to a small, one-metre by one-metre grass fire in the Rattlesnake Point area of Kal Park around 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23. By the time firefighters arrived,...

Ducklings saved by local business owner

KELOWNA – When Noel Wentworth saw an anxious-looking duck on the side of the road last week he knew something wasn’t right. Wentworth and his family were driving home on Glenmore Road around 8 p.m. May 16 when he saw a panicked mother duck on the opposite side of the road. “She was basically running...

Home burns as water woes hamper fire response

KELOWNA — A fire that destroyed a log home in the hills behind Kelowna International Airport is a reminder of the risk that can come with living in semi-rural ares—the fire-fighting effort was hampered by the lack of a nearby fire hydrant and compounded by steep terrain and icy roads. “It dramatically affected our efforts,”...

Safety measures sought for dangerous stretch of Highway 97

LAKE COUNTRY - In the aftermath of two fatal accidents, officials in Lake Country are calling for the addition of a concrete median between Beaver Lake Road and the Kelowna Airport. In July, an elderly couple and a 14-year-old passenger believed to be their grandson were fatally injured after crossing the centre line and colliding...

Lake Country firefighters respond to brush fire

LAKE COUNTRY - The Lake Country Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire that turned into a small brush fire Wednesday afternoon.  Crews were dispatched just before 3:30 p.m. to the fire, somewhere along Oyama Road.  More information will be posted as it becomes available. To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston...