Residents were evacuated at a West Kelowna resort on Thursday at noon because of a small fire that was quickly doused.
According to West Kelowna Fire Rescue, the incident occurred in the spa area at The Cove Lakeside Resort.
The fire department said contents in a waste paper basket sparked the fire.
“WKFR prevention staff conducted an investigation and determined it was started by spontaneous combustion due to the improper disposal of oil soaked rags and concluded it was not suspicious in nature,” said in a press release.
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“We received a call just before noon for an alarm activation at the Cove Resort,” Chad Gartrell, assistant fire chief for West Kelowna Fire Rescue, told Global News.
“When crews arrived, there was light smoke on the first floor. They went in and there was a small fire in the spa area.”
Gartrell said fire crews and the building’s sprinkler systems suppressed the fire.
He added fire crews needed to ensure all safety checks were done, such as making sure the sprinkler systems were working, before residents were allowed back in the building.
The fire department also issued a reminder that when disposing of rags containing paints, oils or solvents, to dispose of them by following manufacturer recommendations and approved containers.