A midnight fire gutted a home in Keremeos in an extremely difficult battle to keep it from spreading.
The Keremeos Volunteer Fire Department was called out to the fully involved structure fire at around midnight on Dec. 21.
According to Fire Chief Jordy Bosscha, the extreme cold and winds made the fire very difficult to fight, with the neighbours of the house downwind having to be evacuated as well.
No cause of the fire has been identified and it is currently under investigation.
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The RCMP, BC Ambulance Service and Fortis all joined in the response to the fire.
“Special thanks for the quick response, and to the dedicated firefighters who endured the bitter conditions,” said Bosscha.
The first home was fully gutted, with the occupant losing everything in the fire except for some tools and motorcycles, while the neighbouring house also suffered some smoke damage.
Firefighters were forced to spray down the neighbouring home due to embers showering down on it from the fire.
Both the occupant of the home that was gutted and the neighbours have fire insurance.
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