If you’re wondering what that smell was downtown late Thursday afternoon, a small dumpster fire ignited in the alley to the east of 300-block Ellis Street.
Penticton fire crews were quick to douse the fire, which sparked just before 4 p.m. Captain Blaine Dionne with the Penticton Fire Department said flames were visible out the front slot of the green cardboard bin when crews arrived.
The top was unlocked, which Dionne said was good, as it kept the flames at bay — though the smell was evident from at least a couple of blocks away.
No cause of the fire has been determined, but Dionne said the biggest cause of dumpster fires are discarded cigarettes or matches.
Fire damage was visible on the front of the bin, and Dionne said there was some cause for concern that a nearby car may have sustained some minor damage, but that had not yet been confirmed.