A bush fire in the Smith Creek area kept West Kelowna Fire crews and nearby neighbours busy Tuesday evening.

According to nearby residents, the bushy area in the 2800 block of Summerview Place is frequented by teens and ignited in flames, leaving behind only bare branches.

A nearby homeowner, who called herself Carol, says she was warned by a fellow neighbour.

“Someone came to the door and the bell was just ringing ringing ringing, and by the time I got there they had ran off.”

Kurt Kallen’s daughter brought the fire to his attention.

“My daughter and I were watching TV, and she said dad there’s a fire!,” shares Kallen.

“I ran across and got the kids out of the house right away. I called the fire department and tried to string out some small hoses but the hedge had already gone up in flames.”

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe

What is left of the burnt bushes.

Fellow neighbour Kyle Grover also tried to battle the flames with a hose while waiting for fire crews.

“The whole front lawn was on fire there so I grabbed a hose and tried to make sure it didn’t jump the walkway into our yard and our hedges here,” shared Grover.

“The wind was moving away from our houses but if it had gotten into the hedges near our house it could have been really bad.”

The cause is under investigation but several neighbours noted that, that particular area is frequented by teens that may have been seen running from the area.

“We think some kids have been here in the last little while, kids like to hang out at night there,” said Grover.

The flames reached several feet in the air before fire crews were able to get it under control.

“It was flaming big time, it was blowing embers into the neighbours yard,” adds Kallen.

The fire is currently under investigation. 

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe