Shortly after 3:00 am on Sunday morning, the Kelowna Fire Department responded to an alarm in a highrise apartment building in the 1400 block of St. Paul St. The first arriving crew was directed to the ninth floor by the alarm panel. The officer reported smoke on the ninth floor and found a fire in one of the units. The alarm was upgraded to a second alarm structure fire. Fire damage was confined to the unit however water from a sprinkler head activation and firefighting efforts affected multiple units on and below the fire unit.
No one was in the unit at the time and all occupants of the building were able to safely evacuate without injury.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental at this time but will be investigated by the Kelowna Fire Department today.
The Kelowna Fire Department responded with three engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit, a safety unit and a command vehicle including 16 fire personnel. RCMP, BCAS and Fortis were on scene to assist as well.
The Kelowna Fire Department would like to remind residents of multi unit apartment buildings that if you hear the fire alarm, evacuation is required.
For more information, visit kelowna.ca/fire.