Fire at boarded-up Kelowna house deemed suspicious

A Thursday night fire at an abandoned Kelowna house has been deemed suspicious.

At approximately 11 p.m., Kelowna Fire Dispatch Centre received a call for smoke coming from a boarded-up abandoned duplex in the 1800 block of Chandler Street.

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“First arriving crew reported smoke coming from the soffits and from around the boarded-up windows. Crews removed the boards and found fire in a bedroom on the main floor,” Shayne Kiehlbauch, Kelowna Fire Department platoon captain, said in a release.

“Crews deployed a hose line and quickly knocked down the fire from the exterior.”

Firefighters, he said, then went into the overhaul phase to make sure the fire was completely extinguished.

2:01 Abandoned house in Kelowna catches fire

The fire did cause significant damage as it burned through the floor, compromising the floor joists.

“At this time, we don’t have a cause for the fire and is suspicious as the house was boarded up,” he said.

Three engines, a rescue truck and a command unit were dispatched to the fire along with 15 fire personnel.