House fire in Rutland

Photo: Ragnar Haagen

Fire crews on scene of house fire on McKenzie Rd.

4:30 p.m. update:

No one was injured after a fire in Rutland Thursday afternoon, but there is extensive damage to the home on McKenzie Rd.

According to Fire Chief Dale Calhoun the fire started in the basement.

"It started in around the hobby area and that has a bunch batteries in there, so we are kind of figuring that is what started the fire. Some batteries that were charging in there."

Calhoun says there is extensive damage downstairs as well as smoke damage all throughout the house.

A mother and her son, who are in town visiting her elderly father, were home at the time of the blaze.

They were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm going off.

"We just heard the alarm go off and my dad has alarms all over the house so we figured he was maybe testing." explained Tammie O'Rielly. "I went out, and I went down into his workshop and he builds radio controlled aircraft and there were flames everywhere."

According to her son some frantic moments followed. 

"At the time I was just working on my computer when I heard the fire alarm going off and I wasn’t totally sure what was happening. My mum was downstairs in her bedroom and then she went to check...my grandpa works on radio controlled airplanes as a hobby... and I guess that room was just flames so she was screaming at me to call 9-1-1 and get myself and the dogs out of the house which I did."

The mother was treated on scene for smoke inhalation.

The grandfather, who owns the home, was not at home when the fire broke out.

3:30 p.m.: Fire crews were called to a house fire in the 800 block of McKenzie Rd. Thursday afternoon.

The fire was reported around 3 p.m., responding crews reported a lot of smoke coming from the home, but they were quickly able to get the fire under control.

Our reporter at the scene says one woman was being looked at by BC Ambulance for possibly smoke inhalation. 

More details to come.

- With files form Ragnar Haagen