An unattended pot left on the stove is believed to be the cause of a fire Sunday evening in Peachland that pretty much destroyed a single-family home.
“When we arrived on scene, the house was fully involved with flames through the roof already,” said Peachland fire chief Dennis Craig. “The structure was heavily damaged by the time we got there.”
The couple that own the Vernon Avenue home were downstairs when the fire broke out on the main floor.
They were alerted to the blaze by a smoke alarm and had time to flee the burning home with their two dogs but not their cat or any other household possessions.
“He’s (homeowner) upset of course, any of us would be to lose a home,” said neighbour Peter Bailey. “Suddenly you’re standing on the street with track pants and bare feet.”
The fire started in the kitchen. Officially, the cause is under investigation and undetermined.
But the homeowner told Bailey: “He thought it was a pot of oil on the stove. He thought he turned on the wrong burner and forgot about it.”
The residents are being looked after for a few days through the Emergency Social Services program. They have fire insurance.