Skip to content

Chickens perish in fire at Keremeos heritage site

A heat lamp is the suspected cause of a chicken coop going up in flames at Grist Mill
31206261_web1_221208-KER-GristMillFire_1
A chicken coop and all the chickens died in a fire at Grist Mill heritage site in Keremeos Saturday. (Grist Mill photo)

Grist Mill general manager Chris Mathieson was a vendor at the Keremeos Light Up Craft Fair at Victory Hall Saturday evening when he heard there was an active fire at the heritage site he manages.

“I high-tailed it out of the craft fair when I heard the words “fire” and “Grist Mill,” said Mathieson on Facebook.

The Grist Mill chicken coop was ablaze and all the chickens perished.

According to Keremeos fire chief Jordy Bosscha, a 10 foot by 12 foot coop was fully involved when they arrived Saturday evening. They had 10 firefighters who were able to put out the flames before the fire spread.

Eight runner ducks that shared the destroyed coop but weren’t in there at the time of the fire now need a temporary home, said Mathieson.

He is looking for “anyone with space to accept eight runner ducks until we can rebuild when the weather warms a little.”

READ MORE: Fire destroys house in Lake Country



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
Read more