Kelowna firefighters douse suspicious pallet blaze in city’s north end

Emergency crews were called to a suspicious pallet fire in Kelowna’s north end on Saturday afternoon.

The fire happened beside a commercial building on Baillie Avenue.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and also watered down part of the building where smoke and fire singed it.

The pallets were stacked beside a dumpster along the rear of the building. The fire happened around 1 p.m.

Kelowna Fire Department platoon captain Kelly Stephens said when crews arrived, they found heavy, black smoke billowing from the burning pallets.

Stephens said flames and smoke impinged the building’s interior, where crews were further investigating.

“There was a lot of fireload at the rear of the building,” Stephens told Global News.

“We managed to get that knocked down, but, unfortunately, it looks like we might have some extension to the interior of the building.”

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Later Saturday, the fire department said the building sustained damage to the soffits and roof area, and called the fire suspicious.

It also said smoke inside the building was mitigated by fire crews, helping reduce the damage.

With the fire having occurred during daylight hours, Stephens said there were several 911 calls, “which helps us get here quicker.”

Three fire trucks were on scene, along with approximately 16 firefighters.