Smoking blamed for blaze at Kelowna condo complex
Investigators believe fire that destroyed 2 units, damaged 4 others caused by smoking
A Kelowna condo fire that destroyed two units and damaged four others was likely caused by someone smoking in a bedroom, investigators have determined.
At 12:47 a.m. last Wednesday, a Kelowna RCMP officer patrolling near Gordon Drive spotted flames coming from a complex in the 1200 block of Cameron Avenue.
He blasted his air horn and sirens to wake residents, and officers evacuated the building.
Upon arrival, Kelowna Fire Department platoon Capt. Tim Light said the fire had fully engulfed a ground-level unit and had spread to the upstairs unit. Crews battled the blaze for hours. Investigators were unable to enter the building until Monday because of safety issues.
“The private insurance companies were able to have the building assessed and then they were able to stabilize the building so that it was deemed safe for everyone to enter without the possibility of any collapse,” said Kelowna fire prevention officer Gayanne Pacholzuk. The fire started in a bedroom, she said. While the official cause of the fire is listed as undetermined, the investigation and witness accounts have led investigators to believe it was caused by smoking materials.
“Unless you can 100 per cent pinpoint the cause, you can’t legally say what it is,” said Pacholzuk. “It’s really hard to determine that from the extent of the fire damage.”
The fire was accidental, she said.