As temperatures took an expected plunge across the Okanagan, fire was sparked at one of Kelowna’s outdoor encampments.
There are dozens of people in outdoor shelters at the encampment site near the city’s downtown rail trail. Conditions for them became more treacherous Wednesday night as sub-zero temperatures set in.
Just after 1 a.m. Thursday Kelowna Regional Fire Dispatch received multiple reports of a large tent fire at the encampment in the 800 block of Weddell Place.
“The first arriving officer reports a large tent fire spreading quickly,” a fire department press release read Thursday morning. “Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire.”
There were no injuries to people living in that space, or the firefighters, but the tent where the fire started was completely destroyed while two neighbouring tents were damaged.
“The fire is considered suspicious and is under investigation,” the release read.
Temperatures are expected to remain treacherously cold for the unsheltered for the next several days. The overnight low temperature for Kelowna from Thursday to Monday is predicted to range from -17 C to -25 C, with the coldest night expected on Friday.
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Kelowna, B.C.’s Gospel Mission staff have been mobilizing to protect the community’s unhoused population.
“I wouldn’t want to be sleeping unsheltered in these mild temperatures, but certainly it becomes life-threatening when we see these -20 C temperatures,” the mission’s director of resource development Trevor McKnight said earlier this week. “Outreach members are going to be increasing their availability in the community and providing cold weather gear and supplies for people who are living unsheltered.”
McKnight said last summer’s devastating wildfires have helped them prepare for this wintry event.
“We were able to recoup a number of blankets that were donated in and they were donated on to us,” he said. “So we have a good supply of blankets and sleeping bags as well as tents that we can provide to people who are living unsheltered, just to provide them with at least some shelter and some warmth during these really deep cold events.”
The city is working to create more secure shelters for people living in encampments. At least 60 tiny homes are expected in the month to come. The plan to address the needs of Kelowna’s unhoused population with 120 tiny homes was unveiled in a joint announcement between the province and the City of Kelowna last fall. The 60-square-foot units, are the fastest and most cost-effective way to meet that community’s needs, Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas said, when the announcement was made last fall.
“I’ve been in them, it creates a great environment. There’s a very warm area, there’s a bed that’s provided, there’s a dresser that’s provided, there’s an area to hang clothes that’s provided,” Dyas said. “It’s the best possible solution that we can do with the need that is in front of us very quickly.”
A communal washroom and meal area will be provided, separate from the units.
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