A Central Okanagan man is homeless after fire destroyed his house Sunday afternoon.

The fire was reported just before noon at a home in the 500 block of Lindley Road, just off Westside Road.

Assistant fire chief Kerry Klonteig says the first call about the fire came from the resident himself.

“He was in his yard doing some work when he saw the smoke. The fire started in the middle of the house. When crews arrived, it was billowing out thick black and brown smoke out of all the eves,” says Klonteig.

He says it took crews more than an hour to knock the blaze back.

“After that we were doing mop up for several hours. The house is basically a total write-off. There was one end that just suffered severe smoke damage, but the rest was destroyed.”

Klonteig says the resident had just lit his wood burning stove for the first time this season Sunday.

“We don’t know if that was the cause. Our investigators will be returning to the scene Monday to determine the exact point of origin.”

No one was injured.

Video of damage (Kelly Hayes)