Skip to content

VIDEO: Carport fire sets Kelowna apartment building aflame

Kelowna firefighters were called to the 1900 block of Pandosy Street about 4 a.m.

At approximately 4:00 a.m. the Kelowna Fire Department dispatch center received 911 calls reporting vehicles on fire at the rear of an apartment building in the 1900 Block of Pandosy Street.

Lester Cabaneros, a resident of the building and who’s work truch among the 10 destroyed cars, had to miss work because of the fire.

“I’m still in shock. My truck is gone. Thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment gone too. I can’t work today, and I’m not sure when I will be able to get back to work after this.”

The first arriving officer reported multiple vehicles on fire. The vehicles were parked under an open carport that was in close proximity to an apartment building. The heat and smoke from the fire had extended onto the apartment building causing a small fire on one of the balconies and also cracking some of the exterior windows.

Cabaneros and another resident, Grant Steenburgh, had been waiting outside their apartments since four in the morning.

“Someone was running down the halls and knocking on the doors and yelling for people to get out,” said Steenburgh. “We’re lucky nobody was hurt. We haven’t been told when we can go back in or anything. Some of the suites look totally uninhabitable.”

RELATED:UPDATE: Kelowna commercial building destroyed by fire

The fires were knocked down with no further extension. Occupants were evacuated from the apartment building. There were no injuries to Fire personnel or residence. The residual smoke was then ventilated from the building.

Kelowna Fire Department responded with five engines, one ladder truck, rescue unit, safety vehicle and a command vehicle. The fire is suspicious in nature and is being investigated by RCMP and Kelowna Fire Dept. investigators.

Test your smoke alarm. They do save lives.

To report a typo, email:
newstips@kelownacapnews.com
.


@KelownaCapNews
newstips@kelownacapnews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.