Government Street home gutted by fire
Flames fuelled by a gas source created a “blowtorch” effect that gutted a Penticton home Monday. But despite the rapid spread of flames, all occupants of the residence on the 1400 block of Government Street between Duncan and Carmi avenues were believed to have made it out by the time firefighters arrived around 3 p.m.
Two witnesses said the fire appeared to start on a patio at the rear of the home, and then quickly spread inside the structure.
“It was just going like crazy,” said Gord Schellenberg, who lives nearby and described seeing flames eating away at the exterior wall and window frames.
Michael Mackenzie was driving east on Duncan Avenue when he saw dark smoke billowing from the home, prompting him to drive up the lane behind the house to offer assistance.
He, too, saw the patio area on fire, and then noticed someone looking out the
Witnesses say fire appeared to start on a patio at the rear of the home and quickly spread inside
back door of the home. Mackenzie parked his car and went inside to help.
“At that point, there was one child and one adult outside. I came in and there were three other adults and I believe three or four more kids,” he recalled.
Mackenzie helped get everyone out, and then went back in to look for pets and anyone in need of assistance.
Once outside again, “There were kids with no shoes, no coats… so we went back in for the third time, only to the front closet, and grabbed about five or six sweaters, a blanket, a couple shoes — I don’t even think they were pairs of shoes — and came back out,” he continued.
“At that point, the fire had made its way inside throughout the basement and lots of smoke was coming in, so at that point we decided no one else should go back in.”
Police and firefighters then began to arrive.
Mackenzie said he heard the home’s occupants suggesting a discarded cigarette butt may have ignited material stored at the back of the house and sparked the fire.
But fire chief Larry Watkinson said late Monday afternoon it was too soon to speculate on a possible cause.
“It was pretty heavily involved inside the structure when we arrived on scene,” he said.
“It seemed that the fire was actually fuelled from some sort of gas source. (Whether) it was the natural gas connection to the building or if was a tank inside the building, we’re not sure exactly, but it was a big blowtorch in the back of the building in the basement.”
Watkinson said he was told all occupants made it out of the home, but noted the fire had prevented his crews from searching the home to verify that.
Firefighting efforts were hampered by the cold weather, which created steam and reduced visibility, along with icy conditions on the ground.