An elderly Penticton couple escaped unharmed from their Greenwood Drive home in an early-morning fire Thursday, Feb. 19.
Deputy chief Dave Spalding said when the initial attack crews arrived on the scene just after 4:30 a.m. flames were visible shooting into the night sky.
“They (residents) woke up to the noise of the fire or smoke, something like that and they saw the fire and they tried to extinguish it with a garden hose and weren’t successful then our guys arrived,” said Spalding. “They’re are with emergency social services and they’re going to a hotel.”
The first crews from Fire Station 202 in the Industrial Park arrived and shortly afterwards another truck with five firefighters from Station 201 got there.
“There was a lot visible flame on their approach a lot of heavy smoke,” said Spalding. “It looks like it was the outside deck patio that was on fire at that time so the guys got on scene made it a second alarm and then they upgraded to a third alarm which is calling back all of off-shift staff. They then went to work putting the fire out and got the fire extinguished.”
As many as 20 firefighters were believed to have been battling the blaze.
“The fire did progress to the interior of the house from the patio area so heavy damage on the house so the residents won’t be able to return home for awhile,” said Spalding.
Investigators at the scene were attempting to determine a cause and point of origin however Spalding added at this time it does not appear the fire is suspicious nature.
“However we won’t know that for sure until the investigation is done,” he said.