229720
232884
Kelowna  

Fire crews responding to massive fire at Glenmore construction site in Kelowna

Massive fire on Glenmore

UPDATE: 9:30 a.m.

Several residents in the vicinity of a massive fire in Glenmore had to be evacuated Tuesday morning.

A two-storey apartment building under construction at the corner of Glenmore Drive and Union Road went up in flames early Tuesday morning.

"We had two main concerns," Platoon Captain John Kelly told Castanet News at the scene.

"The occupied townhouse units and the tower crane erected in the centre of the construction. We were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the exposures and evacuated the people from adjacent buildings.

"We also had units to the south of us that is a different complex altogether. If the tower crane did come down, there was a possibility that could impact those residents."

Kelly described the building as a two-storey townhouse complex with approximately 26 units under construction.

"It wasn't drywalled, so basically it was open wood framing. As a result, the fire takes off very quickly when it get that type of fuel load."

A fire investigator is on scene speaking with witnesses, but Kelly says damage is so significant, he's not sure if a cause will ever be determined.


UPDATE: 8:50 a.m.

The developers of the Parklane townhouse project say all residents of the complex got out safely during a huge fire this morning at an apartment construction project next door.

The two projects are unrelated, however one unit of the townhouse complex did suffer minor damage, a spokesman says.


Rob Gibson

UPDATE: 8:30 a.m.

Castanet reporter Rob Gibson reports thick, heavy smoke continues to billow from a massive fire on Glenmore Drive.

The fire is at an apartment site under construction at the corner of Glenmore Drive and Union Road.

Glenmore is blocked off in both directions at Union, making it difficult for some students to get to both North Glenmore elementary and Dr. Knox Middle schools in the immediate proximity of the fire.

Traffic is backed up in the area.


UPDATE: 8:10 a.m.

The Kelowna Fire Department remains at the scene of a massive fire at an under-construction apartment development in Glenmore.

Fire crews have made significant progress on the blaze and have mostly knocked down the flames that previously towered over the neighbourhood. A large amount of smoke continues to billow from the fire.

Roads immediately surrounding the fire at are still closed. Castanet has a reporter headed to the scene and will update as more information becomes available.


UPDATE: 6:45 a.m.

A huge fire burning at a construction site at Union and Glenmore roads in Kelowna is at the site of an apartment development.

Some units of an adjacent project are already occupied by residents, and police are evacuating residents from those homes as firefighters battle the flames in the development next door, according to witnesses at the scene.

Fire crews are also protecting the occupied homes from the massive blaze in the partially constructed units.


ORIGINAL: 6:25 a.m.

Fire crews are responding to a massive fire at a construction site in Kelowna this morning.

Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy says Kelowna Fire Department and police responded to the blaze at the intersection of Glenmore and Union roads just after 6 a.m.

Flames and smoke are towering over the site, and are visible from much of the city.

Residents in the surrounding area are being evacuated as emergency services respond to fire, says Noseworthy.

"Due to safety concerns, residents in the surrounding area are currently being evacuated, and the roads are being closed. Please remain away from this area while emergency services deal with this fire," she says.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time.

More information to come.



More Kelowna News

233021
229862
RECENT STORIES
Castanet Classifieds

227287


229862


228921
223892


Kamloops SPCA Featured Pet

Astro
Astro Kamloops SPCA >




229484


Recent Trending
Castanet Proud Member of RTNDA Canada
225430