Lumby roof blown off

Fire crews in Lumby were called out to a home in Whitevale Monday evening when the home's roof was blown off by the windstorm that swept through the valley.

Speaking from Lumby Tuesday morning, Chief Tony Clayton says the call came in about 5:45 p.m. Monday and crews arrived to find a very damaged mobile home with roofing material blown around everywhere.

“Nobody was hurt, but the roof was scattered all over the place,” says Chief Clayton. At least two people were home at the time the roof blew off, and Clayton says Emergency Social Services are ensuring the residents are looked after.

“The big concern is we still have live power lines there, and the live power wires are still touching some of the roof. It's a bit of a fire concern, so I have a crew on scene babysitting it until hydro shows up.”

Chief Clayton describes the scene as a real mess, and says hydro crews are unable to even confirm a time when they can get to the scene to take care of the downed lines.

The roof was one victim out of many Monday as severe winds swept through the whole Okanagan Valley from south to north.

Chief Clayton is anticipating a quieter day Tuesday.

“I've got a full crew basically sitting out there until hydro shows up,” he says. “We'll kind of rotate crews through all day, just kind of babysitting it.”