Kelowna fire crews were called to a bush fire on Friday morning near the Okanagan Rail Trail behind along Enterprise Way.
The blaze occurred in a homeless camp, with fire personnel spotting smoke, flames and a couple of explosions from compressed gas cylinders upon arrival.
The fire, approximately 20 feet by 30 feet in size, was quickly knocked down. The fire department said no one was in the homeless camp when emergency personnel arrived.
Nine firefighters responded at approximately 9:50 a.m. to the incident, which is under investigation.
“On arrival, we found that it was a homeless camp; a fairly large one,” said Kelowna Fire Department platoon captain Kelly Stephens. “We did have some explosions of compressed gas cylinders in the area.”
WATCH BELOW (Aired June 11, 2019): A brief history of the Okanagan Mountain Park fire
It was the second time in 24 hours firefighters were called to a bush blaze. On Thursday, crews quickly contained a fire along the Mission Park Greenway.
The fire department said Thursday’s fire was intentionally set, and that police are now investigating.
Fifteen firefighters were on scene, with the fire growing to approximately 15 feet in width and 600 feet in length before it was suppressed. The area is said to be dry.
In related news, the Kelowna Fire Department said the public has been diligent in immediately reporting fires.
“Public vigilance has been really good. That helps us get early notification,” said deputy fire chief Larry Hollier. “The earlier we’re notified, the quicker we can respond.”