Woman dies in fire
Witnesses say occupants of house fled blaze but then 1 went back in
One person was killed in a fire on Springfield Road in Kelowna Tuesday morning, police and firefighters have confirmed.
“Witnesses at the scene have told police that four occupants, including a man, a woman and two children, were observed fleeing from their home to safety,” said RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey. “Investigators believe that the woman re-entered the residence for an unconfirmed reason. Tragically, she was not seen re-exiting the home.”
Other local media reported witnesses saying the woman was attempting to rescue a pet.
The woman’s body was located during a search of the residence conducted by fire crews.
Police learned that a man was driving along Springfield Road when he spotted the blaze in the 2600 block and jumped into action. Witnesses say the man pulled into the home’s driveway and honked his horn repeatedly to alert those still believed to be sleeping inside.
The house was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived just after 5 a.m.
Due to extreme fire conditions, crews could not enter immediately.
RCMP said later Tuesday they were classifying the fire as “accidental.”
“Investigational findings at that scene have led police to believe the tragic blaze to be electrical and non-criminal in nature,” O’Donaghey said.
Emergency Social Services is helping the family.