Smoking material left in planter sparks Kelowna balcony blaze

An early morning fire was contained to a Rutland balcony.

The accidental balcony blaze in a multi-unit complex in the Kelowna neighbourhood of Rutland was reported around 4 a.m. on Sunday.

The fire on a third-floor balcony of the 62-unit apartment building started after smoking material was accidentally put in a planter, the fire department said.

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The Kelowna Fire Department responded to the 700 block of Rutland Road and extinguished the flames with the help of the building’s sprinkler system.

The fire department said only “the furnishings and contents of the balcony” were burnt and “no other units in the complex were damaged.”

In a media release about the fire, Platoon Captain Steve Roshinsky urged people to “fully extinguish smoking material in an appropriate container.”

No one was injured.