A fire ripped through the rear of the OK Falls Barber Shop building and spread to an adjacent structure, prompting the closure of Highway 97 for several hours early Monday morning.
Okanagan Falls volunteer fire department Chief Rob Oliver said fire crews have responded to at least four fires at the property near Ash and Highway 97 in the past few years.
“They’re notorious for fires in there, burning barrels or whatever, so we knew where we were going,” he told Global News on the scene.
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“We hit the hydrants really hard… and we knocked it down pretty quick.”
Oliver said the rear of the property is used as a mechanic shop and some flammable items are stored there.
“People working on scooters and stuff, propane bottles blowing up, so it’s quite a mess,” he said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The blaze spread to a neighbouring residence before crews managed to extinguish the flames.
Oliver said a young couple from Alberta recently purchased the home.
They’ve been unable to reach the homeowners, who are away camping. He said a security team will monitor the property to ensure it isn’t the target of looters.
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Bev Van Uden witnessed the flames around 4:20 a.m.
“The whole back of the barber shop was engulfed and the back of the blue house here was totally engulfed. It was burning hot and hard,” she said.
Uden said she attempted to alert the residents of the home.
“I went there, I pounded on the door and nobody answered and then somebody said their truck is not there, so I’m really hoping that nobody was in the building.”
The highway was reopened around 8:15 a.m.
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