Electric blanket ignites mattress, damages Kelowna home

A Kelowna home suffered significant smoke damage Monday morning when a bedroom caught fire due to an electric blanket.

The fire, in a single-family home in the 2300 block of Silver Place, was in a mattress in one of the bedrooms.

“When we arrived, we did an interior search, found a fire in the bedroom and it was extinguished with minimum water,” said Kelowna Fire Department assistant chief, Mike Hawley.

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“There is smoke damage throughout the house, but the actual fire damage was limited to the one bedroom only.”

The four occupants made it out safely, and according to Hawley, working smoke alarms played a big factor.

“Working smoke alarms are absolutely critical, and that’s why we have them, to keep us safe,” explained Hawley.

Two elderly residents at the home were taken to hospital, but Hawley says it was “purely precautionary.”

Four engines, a rescue truck, a command unit, RCMP and BCAS were dispatched to the fire along with 22 fire personnel.