UPDATE Fire causes major damage at condo construction site in Kelowna

UPDATE 4:05 p.m.

RCMP and the Kelowna Fire Department have yet to issue an update on a Kelowna construction site fire since just after 6 a.m. this morning, but the City of Kelowna has issued information on the roads in that area.

Glenmore Road will be closed between Cross and Scenic Road, and Union Road will be closed between Wyndham Crescent and Valley Road due to a construction-site fire at the intersection of Glenmore and Union this morning.

Sidewalks on Glenmore between Cross and Scenic will be closed to foot traffic as will sidewalks on Union between Glenmore Road and Snowsell Street North.

Southbound traffic will be rerouted to Snowsell Street North and Scenic Road, while northbound traffic will be directed to Snowsell Street North and Valley Road. Electronic message boards, signage and personnel will be onsite to direct traffic.

“Motorists and pedestrians should avoid the area as there is a crane at the site of the fire and its structural integrity still needs to be confirmed. For this same reason, the traffic advisory will remain in place until further notice,” a city news release stated.

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UPDATE 11:30 a.m.

A condominium development under construction in Kelowna has been severely damaged in a fierce early morning blaze.

Flames broke out in a new phase of the Parklane townhouse complex at Glenmore and Union roads on Kelowna’s north side on Tuesday.

Fire swept through the unfinished units while intense heat damaged occupied condos nearby, forcing evacuations.

One resident says his condo overlooking the fire is now uninhabitable as windows in the unit cracked and shattered while he and his roommates fled.

There’s no word on injuries, but fire officials are monitoring a construction crane located at the middle of the damaged complex.

An engineer has been called to assess its stability while crews poured water on the flames that leaped more than a dozen metres in the air at the height of the blaze.

There is no word on the cause.

(The Canadian Press)

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6:30 a.m. story

Crews have been on the scene of a construction site fire in Kelowna.

It is in the Glenmore area, across from North Glenmore Elementary School, reportedly the construction site of a townhouse complex.

The cause is not known.

RCMP say residents in the surrounding area were evacuated as a precaution.

On April 6 just after 6:00 a.m., the Kelowna Fire Department and the Kelowna RCMP responded to a fire at a construction site at the intersection of Glenmore Road and Union Road in Kelowna.

“Due to safety concerns, residents in the surrounding area are currently being evacuated, and the roads are being closed. Please remain away from this area while emergency services deal with this fire. The cause of the fire is not known at this time,” said Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy.