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UPDATE: Residents battle hedge fire in West Kelowna mobile home park

West Kelowna Fire Rescue attended the incident, but not before local residents began battling the blaze. Global News

A hedge fire in a West Kelowna mobile home park that sparked to life on Friday morning came close to one unit before being put out.

West Kelowna Fire Rescue attended the incident, but not before local residents began battling the blaze.

Emergency crews say a cigarette started the hedge fire, which came approximately within two-and-a-half feet of a mobile home roof.

Another view of the burned hedges in the mobile home park. Global News
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Neighbours from the mobile home park scrambled to battle the blaze with hoses and fire extinguishers.

West Kelowna Fire Rescue arrived on scene and helped fully extinguish the blaze.

“It was out upon our arrival,” said WKFR fire chief Jason Brolund. “It was in a cedar hedge, it was started by a cigarette butt.

“This cedar hedge ran the length of the property, from the street all the way down right between two modular homes. I’ve been quoted before as saying cedar hedges are like [candle] wicks.
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Brolund added “people can clean up underneath and inside [the hedges] because they’re typically all dead inside. They might be green on the outside, but they’re dry inside.”
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The fire chief noted that he recently spoke to West Kelowna city council about encouraging people to fire mitigate private property.

“If people contact the fire department, we’re happy to help them with suggestions on what they can do,” said Brolund, noting WKFR is offering a pilot project of grants to private property owners who undertake firesmart activities.

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Brolund said the 20 $500 grants are for those who follow through on a wide range of improvements, such as replacing a cedar-shake roof with a non-combustible roof, or yard clean-up on a large scale.

For more on the grants, contact West Kelowna Fire Rescue at 778-797-3200.

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