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Flames force Kelowna family from home

Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze

A garage fire had residents rushed out of their home on Sumac Road in Rutland during the early morning hours of Nov. 2.

Emergency crews responded to a blaze on Sumac, between Felix and Aldon Road at about 6:30 a.m.

Crews saw heavy smoke and flames coming from an attached garage of a home. Because of the severity, fire crews upgraded the call to a second alarm.

The fire was extinguished and because of the quick response, the fire was contained to just the garage and a portion of the roof. There is minimal damage to the house, according to the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD). However, a pick-up truck and travel trailer were also damaged.

The blaze is not believed to be suspicious, however, investigators will be looking into the cause.

Assistant Fire Chief of Mitigation and Prevention Dennis Craig said the residents were awake at the time of the blaze and able to self-evacuate.

“They did some really good things, they closed the door between the garage and the house prior to leaving which contained the fire and prevented the spread,” said Craig.

A portion of Sumac was closed as emergency crews remained on scene.

Fire crews were seen speaking with the residents of the home who all got out with their pets. They have been displaced from the home and will be staying with family for the time being.

Two occupants of the home were treated by emergency crews for minor smoke inhalation. 

KFD attended the scene with three engines, one rescue unit, one safety unit, one command unit and an assistant chief, totalling 18 fire personnel. Emergency services, Kelowna RCMP, and Fortis also attended the scene. 

 

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

I am a broadcast journalism graduate from BCIT and hold a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University. I enjoy volunteering with local organizations, such as the Okanagan Humane Society.
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