Fire on roof at Costco

Firefighters responded to a fire on the roof of Costco in Kelowna this morning.

Dispatchers started getting 911 calls about black smoke coming from the roof of the business on Baron Road around 9:45 a.m.

Captain John Kelly said the first arriving crews entered the store and gained access to the roof from inside the building.

“It was discovered that some pressure washing work was being done by a contractor. While filling one of the four machines with gas, the gas ignited, flashed and set the machine on fire,” Kelly explained.

The workers were able to suppress some of the flames before crews arrived and fully doused it.

“Damage was contained to the machine and some staining/charring to the metal sheeting on the roof. No one was injured at the incident,” Kelly stated.

The fire was determined to be accidental.