Another tent fire in Kelowna highlights desperate need for emergency winter shelter

Bylaw officers in Kelowna spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the aftermath of a large tent fire that broke out this week at the city’s homeless encampment near the Okanagan Rail Trail.

The fire department was called to the site near Richter Street and Weddell Place just after 3:30 p.m., Monday.

When crews arrived, the tent was fully engulfed in flames, with black smoke billowing into the sky.

Fortunately, no one was inside the tent at the time.

“It is a very close call,” said Paul Johnson, fire prevention officer with the Kelowna Fire department.

“Potentially, had this happened at night, it could have had a different ending.”

While the exact cause is not known, one possibility could be a device used to keep warm.

“One could assume that maybe a heating source was left on, but that’s only speculation,” Johnson said. “There wasn’t a lot left to actually determine the cause.”

1:33 Kelowna man collects donations to help feed and clothe homeless

Fires at the site have been a regular occurrence this year and have kept fire officials busy.

“Every couple of days, our guys are there. Yeah, it’s an ongoing problem,” Johnson said.

“They’re responding to fires from outdoor campfires to tent fires to somebody burning some sticks.”

Winter isn’t officially underway yet, and there are concerns these fires will continue posing a hazard.

“Every day, we have the fire prevention staff, we have City of Kelowna bylaw and the RCMP  down there, ensuring that people are safe,” Johnson said.

2:05 Interior Health opens a line of communication with homeless advocates in the Okanagan

This year, there are more people sheltering outside than in years past due to no emergency winter shelter having opened in Kelowna this season.

Sources have told Global News that a site for an emergency winter shelter has been identified, but neither the city nor BC Housing will confirm it.

City officials say they are continuing to meet with service providers on how best to support those who are unhoused during this time of the year.

2:30 Warming bus on the way as people who are unhoused light more fires to keep warm amid freezing temperatures

One initiative involves using a warming bus, where people come in to warm up during the night.

The city is currently reviewing a test run of a warning bus that was recently stationed at the site for five nights.

“The warming bus will continue to be triggered by the established threshold, a period of ‘feels like -10 C,’” said Sue Wheeler, social development manager with the City of Kelowna.

Wheeler added that partners will continue to ensure the warming bus can best meet the needs of people sheltering outdoors when temperatures dip.

2:25 Between Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon, there are well over 300 people sleeping outside in the cold