Charred debris is all that remains of a rural North Okanagan home that was destroyed by fire on Monday evening.
The fire occurred along Mable Lake Road in Lumby. When firefighters arrived, flames were coming out of windows, doors, and the roof of the building.
The Lumby Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire with a crew of 20 firefighters, even though it was outside of the village’s boundary. It then called the Lavington Fire Hall and BX Swan Lake Rescue for assistance. Both responded quickly.
“The wind was really concerning because it did catch some bushes on fire,” Lumby fire chief Tony Clayton said. “We had a truck and a crew just canvassing the area, watching for hot spots in the field.”
Lumby had water tenders, a fire engine, a rescue truck and a busy truck. Lavington and BX each sent a water tender plus a utility truck with a crew.
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Clayton said the large response was required due to the fire’s “heat, the workload and the risk of it spreading into the bush.”
“There were a couple of hot spots that started about 100 feet away and got into some trees. We were watching it closely, making sure it didn’t spread.
“The way the breeze, light winds and the sparks were going, they were all heading into some dry fields.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it’s not suspicious.
Two young adults were inside the home when the blaze broke out. Both escaped safely.