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Kelowna Fire Department
Kelowna Fire Department calls up two per cent
KELOWNA - The release of the 2014 annual report by the Kelowna Fire Department provides a glimpse of what the largest fire department in the B.C. Interior goes through in a year. “Kelowna Fire Department responded to just over 9,500 calls for service which was a two per cent increase from 2013,” says fire chief...
Small grass fire on Glenmore trail
KELOWNA – It was likely a discarded cigarette butt, which sparked a small grass fire on a trail Glenmore this morning. Kelowna firefighters were called to the walking and biking trail behind the house at 343 Whitman Rd. at around 9:54 a.m., April 19. Captain Tim Hill says the fire, close to a backyard fence,...
Discarded butt sparks garage fire
KELOWNA – A small fire at a garage in Kelowna was out by the time firefighters arrived this morning. Platoon captain Kelly Stephens says a discarded cigarette in a planter pot started the fire around 11:14 a.m., April 16, at 540 Cridge Rd. in Rutland. The fire scorched the outside of the garage door before...
No injuries as fire destroys garage in downtown Kelowna
KELOWNA - The Kelowna Fire Department responded in force this morning to a garage fire on Laurier Avenue in downtown Kelowna. When they arrived, firefighters found thick black smoke and visible flames shooting from the garage’s interior. They were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the house, but the garage and contents...
Police seek information on suspected arson in Rutland
KELOWNA - An early-morning fire that significantly damaged a townhouse on Kneller Road on the weekend may have been arson. The occupants of the townhouse were home when the fire started just after midnight, March 29, but managed to escape unharmed. A Kelowna Fire Department crew extinguished the fire shortly after arriving, but not before...
Fire crews knock down fire in Glenmore
KELOWNA - Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire on Cosens Court in Glenmore this afternoon. It was originally called in as a garage fire at 284 Cosens Court but the home itself was involved by the time fire crews arrived. According to Platoon Captain Steve Wallick, the fire started near the back...
Controlled burns could be coming to a neighbourhood near you
CITY COUNCIL AGREES TO "TEST BURN" IN MCKINLEY LANDING KELOWNA - Forest fires are a touchy subject in the Okanagan so it was no surprise proponents of a controlled burn in McKinley Landing had some explaining to do to city councillors. City staff want to conduct a controlled burn in McKinley Landing as part of...
Kelowna city councillors balk at unexpected request for new fire engine
KELOWNA - A majority of Kelowna city council has said no to spending $730,000 for a new fire engine a year earlier than scheduled despite a warning from Kelowna Fire Department chief Jeff Carlisle it could result in “response capacity gaps” in rural areas of the city. “We need to put our planning hats on and...
Kelowna townhouse fire leaves family homeless
KELOWNA – The cause of a fire at a Kelowna townhouse complex early Sunday morning is unknown as investigators work to find answers. Just after midnight, March 29, the Kelowna Fire Department received multiple reports of fire coming from the roof of the two-storey Maple Lanes complex at 170 Kneller Rd. in Rutland. When crews...
Surging greenback, failing fire truck means Kelowna taxpayers on the hook for more money
KELOWNA - The plunging Canadian dollar and a failed mechanical assessment on one of its big rigs means the Kelowna Fire Department needs to ask city council for more money. Fire chief Jeff Carlisle, in a report to council, says the department needs an additional $130,000 to complete the purchase of a fire engine originally...
Kelowna fire crews quickly extinguish hedge fire
KELOWNA – No serious damage or injuries after a fire in a hedge next to a home in a semi rural area of Kelowna this afternoon. The fire in the 1800-block Heimlich Road in the Mission was reported at about 2 p.m., Friday, March 6. When crews arrived, the flames from the burning hedge had...
Apartment fire puts occupants in the care of Emergency Social Services
KELOWNA - The occupants of an apartment on Glenview Avenue are in the care of Emergency Social Services today after fire early yesterday evening left their unit uninhabitable. Steve Wallick, a platoon captain with the Kelowna Fire Department, said firefighters responded in force to what turned out to be a grease fire in the kitchen...
Why a fire in Rutland could have been a lot worse
KELOWNA — Firefighters put out a structure fire in Rutland last night that could have been a lot worse. Kelowna Fire Department was called to the blaze in the 400 block of Rutland Road North overnight and found smoke and flames coming from a six-plex multi-family home. Platoon Capt. Tim Light says they managed to...
Firefighters douse flames at Kelowna hotel
KELOWNA — Firefighters knocked down a blaze in an out-building of a Kelowna hotel but say they don't know how it started. Around 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, Kelowna Fire Department got numerous calls about a fire at Kelowna Inn and Suites. They found flames coming from the roof of a pool building. It wasn't...
Firefighters to get new ride after council approves truck replacement
KELOWNA - Looking to buy a fire engine? Get ready for some sticker shock and a lengthy wait because it turns out buying one of the specialized emergency response vehicles is nothing like buying a new car. “You can’t just walk into a dealership and buy a fire truck,” says Larry Hollier, deputy chief of...
Kelowna garage damaged by fire
KELOWNA - Crews arriving at the scene of a residential garage fire were greeted by heavy black smoke early Monday evening. The Kelowna Fire Department was called to Carruthers Street around 6:15 p.m., Jan. 12, and while they were able to quickly extinguish the fire the interior of the garage was already destroyed. In total...
Small furnace fire quickly snuffed
KELOWNA — Residents at a home on Cook Road managed to keep a furnace fire at bay with their own fire extinguisher before fire crews arrived to put it out. Platoon Capt. Steve Wallick says they were called to the scene in the 600 block last night, Dec. 29. They extinguished the blaze and ventilated...
Kelowna shed fire kills pet chicken
KELOWNA – A shed has been destroyed by fire and a pet chicken killed thanks to an unattended space heater. Kelowna firefighters were called to the blaze at 1629 Parkridge Ct. at around 6:57 a.m. and arrived to find 15’X15’ shed at the rear of the property fully engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly...
UPDATE: Body found in burning truck
KELOWNA - The RCMP and the coroner are investigating after a man's body was discovered in a burning truck in Kelowna, though police don't suspect foul play. Fire crews were called Saturday at around 6:07 p.m. to the truck, which was found engulfed in flames Casorso Road at Barrera Road near Casorso Elementary School in...
Early morning house fire made worse by lack of smoke alarm
KELOWNA – A house fire on Badke Road early Thursday morning might have been snuffed earlier if the residents had a working smoke alarm. Platoon Captain Laurie Serres says 15 firefighters were called to a minor house fire at 2:51 a.m. after residents noticed the sounds and smell of fire coming from the attic. “There...