UPDATE Fire rips through storage building

UPDATE

A fire gutted a boat storage facility on Gellatly Road in West Kelowna today.

Fire chief Jason Brolund said the structure was due for demolition this week, and prep work for that accidentally sparked the fire by catching onto some insulation.

No one was injured, and the building was empty at the time.

The following is a report on the fire from Fire Chief Jason Brolund:

Shortly after noon today, WKFR responded to a report of a flames and smoke inside a warehouse on Gellatly Rd in West Kelowna. First arriving crews from the Westbank station found a major fire that had engulfed the building. They were supported by crews from the Lakeview and Glenrosa fire stations who fought the fire defensively from the outside. It was not safe to enter due to the amount of fire and risk of collapse of the roof and walls.

Gellatly Rd was closed and remains so at this hour. Nearby residents were asked to stay in their homes due to the heavy smoke in the immediate area. That danger has now passed and the neighbourhood has returned to normal.

The building was historically a packinghouse for the fruit industry and sat unused for many years. Most recently it was used for boat storage, however it was empty when the fire started. The building was slated for demolition today. The cause of the fire was deemed accidental and was believed to be due to activities related to the demolition. Workers at the site made it out safely and there were no injuries to the public or to our firefighters.

An excavator was already onsite to undertake the demolition and it has been put to use to help extinguish the fire. Crews and equipment will remain on scene for several hours until the fire is completely out and demolition will be completed in the coming days.

WKFR worked closely with other emergency responders including the RCMP, WFN Law Enforcement, BC Ambulance and the City of West Kelowna Public Works team on this unique incident. The RCMP and WFN Law Enforcement ensured that traffic and bystanders were kept safe and away from the scene. BC Ambulance stood by in case of any injuries to firefighters during this high risk firefighting activity. The City Public Works crews monitored the high volume of water being used as well as addressed any runoff from the firefighting activities using the City’s Vactor truck. We are grateful for this assistance and for the cooperation between our emergency services in West Kelowna.

This fire serves as a reminder to be caution with activities that may produce sparks and cause a fire. Workers should always have and practice a fire safety plan to ensure they know what to do when disaster strikes.

The building has also been used over the years for fruit storage and film productions.