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Kelowna  

Apartment fire sends two to hospital

Raw video by Castanet readers: Lindsay Fletcher, Denis Dupuis and Seychelle McArthur.

1:15 pm update:  Two people were transported to Kelowna General Hospital this morning as a result of the fire at 445 Franklyn Road in Rutland. One man suffered smoke inhalation, but the extent of his injuries are not known. We do not have an update on the second individual.

Two suites suffered extensive fire damage and several others were damaged during the fire.

Emergency services was called and is assisting the residents as no one will be allowed back into the building today.

Initial response by the Kelowna Fire Department included four engines, two ladders, one rescue vehicle, and one command vehicle along with 24 personnel.

A second response included 20 more personnel, both professional and volunteer.

Cause of the fire is being investigated at this time.

There will be a meeting for displaced residents at the Salvation Army on Sutherland Ave. Sunday

The residents of an apartment block at 445 Franklyn Road in Rutland were jolted awake on a beautiful Saturday morning by a living nightmare as a major fire forced the immediate evacuation of the premises.

By the time Kelowna Fire Department arrived on the scene, about 7:45 a.m., the entire upper northeast section of the four-storey block was engulfed and more than an hour later, smoke and flame were still visible as the stubborn blaze refused to surrender easily.

At press time, police and fire officials had still not managed to account for all residents of the building, but the rest, as well as hundreds of onlookers from among the dozens of apartment blocks in the heavily -populated area, were standing outside, literally mesmerized by the scene which was developing in front of them.

"I just grabbed my kids and got the heck out of there, right off my back deck, I didn't even go through the front door," explained Ashley Mitchell, a resident on the first floor of the block. Mitchell has two young children ages three and 10 1/2 months.

Meanwhile, Eric Reite, who along with his roommate, lives in unit 401 - right above unit 301 where it is assumed the fire originated.

"We were just yapping and it sounded like someone was climbing on the balcony," said Reite who lost everything he owned and only just got out with a pair of pants - no shirt, no shoes.

"Man, it went up quick," he noted. "That's how fast it was.... I mean I just got my pants on and got out of there in time."

Reite also mentioned that his roommate, Dave, who had triggered the alarm in the building, was eventually taken to Kelowna General Hospital, suffering from smoke inhalation.

By the time the smoke had begun to settle, it was evident that the entire upper, northeast section of the block had been destroyed.

Reite says it was only a few years ago he watched from his balcony as the apartment block beside his was gutted by fire, yet chose not to purchase fire insurance for his own belongings.

"I mean, it's just stuff," he said, noting that he has "lots of friends" who will help provide for him, though he did lose his phone in the blaze.

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