Kelowna woman escapes from burning house

A large home at the end of Bennett Road in Kelowna’s McKinley Landing neighbourhood has been leveled by a fire.

It started sometime after 8 p.m. Tuesday.

A woman who was renting the house was at home at the time.

A firefighter knocked on the door and alerted her to the fire.

An initial attack crew called for backup as their efforts to contain the blaze were not enough.

Kelowna City Councilor Mohini Singh, who lives down the road, said additional crews helped douse the grass fire around the burning home, protecting the neighbourhood.

Singh said neighbours on Bennett Road could only see smoke rising above the glow and were initially concerned their own homes may be in jeopardy.

Access to the forest-surrounded home was also made more difficult for fire crews due to a very long driveway.

Fire investigators say the blaze may have started because of a chimney failure that allowed super heated gases into the attic space.

0:37 Kelowna woman escapes from burning house, Fire Investigator Paul Johnson comments

WATCH ABOVE: Interview with fire investigator Paul Johnson who says woman inside the house was alerted by a passer-by