At round 9 p.m. Tuesday night time, the Keremeos Volunteer Fireplace Division was dispatched to a fireplace at a cell house.
The hearth was a couple of kilometres west of Keremeos, on Freeway three.
“We rolled everyone that we had right here, which was about 20 members,” mentioned Brian Helm, deputy hearth chief with the Keremeos Volunteer Fireplace Division.
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The cell house was positioned on a shoulder of Freeway three, which compelled firefighters to cease visitors on the route for a number of hours.
“It was primarily for the security of our members,” mentioned Helm. “[The fire] was positioned on a blind nook.”
Based on the Keremeos Fireplace Division, they had been having their weekly coaching session simply earlier than the decision got here in, permitting for a fast response time.
“Tuesday night time is our common apply night time, so we had simply accomplished our session earlier than the decision got here in,” mentioned Helm.
The firefighters had been capable of include the fireplace to at least one construction regardless of being in shut proximity to a 100-year-old home, 60 toes away.
“I’m glad no one received damage. I’m glad the firemen had been right here shortly and received issues beneath management,” Gordie Reedman, proprietor of the empty cell house, informed World Information on Wednesday.
“Particularly earlier than the fireplace received subsequent door.”
An excavator was introduced in to knock down the remainder of the house, with a view to guarantee the fireplace was fully extinguished.
Reedman says it isn’t the primary time that he’s handled a construction hearth, as one other house of his on the identical property caught hearth in 2015.
The cell house had been deserted for a couple of years and Reedman says he suspects squatters had been utilizing the cell house on and off.
At this level, the reason for the fireplace is unknown and is at present beneath investigation.
Keremeos is round 45 kilometres southwest of Penticton.
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