Kelowna fire forces eight residents out of home, cause under investigation

Eight people and their pets are without a home after a basement fire in Kelowna Sunday evening, though no injuries were reported.

Kelowna Fire Department crews were called to the 1900 block of Bowes Street at about 5:30 p.m. after multiple 911 calls reported a house fire. First arriving crews found dark grey smoke coming from a single-storey, single-family home and located the fire in the basement.

Firefighters were able to quickly knock down the blaze and remained on scene for several hours to ensure it was fully extinguished.

All eight residents, along with their pets, safely evacuated the home. They are now being supported by Emergency Support Services.

The home sustained relatively minor structural damage, but officials say smoke contamination has rendered most of the contents unusable, leaving the house uninhabitable.

Kelowna Fire officials said the fire is not considered suspicious at this time, but the cause remains under investigation.