‘Must keep our guard up’: West Kelowna firefighters stop blaze spreading to Gorman Bros. lumber yard

By Iain Burns
Kelowna Now
August 19, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

All four West Kelowna fire stations combined to knock down a potentially dangerous fire in the city last night. Fire Chief Jason Brolund said crews battled to prevent the fire spreading towards the storage yard owned by Gorman Bros. Lumber Ltd on Dunfield Road. The first 911 calls came in just before 5 pm, Brolund explained, after a fire was spotted among the grass and trees at the Glenrosa Road and Hwy 97 interchange. “The fire was driven by wind and dry grass, combined with sloping terrain,” Brolund said in a media bulletin. He added: “While this past week’s rain and higher humidity has helped, we still experienced cross-over fire weather conditions this afternoon. Temperatures (above 30ºC) and low humidity (below 30 per cent) with winds (above 30 kilometres an hour) combined to accelerate the spread of the fire. “This is a reminder that we must keep our guard up as fire season continues.”

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