Photo: B Leduc

A fire in Ellison lit up the sky on Saturday night. After crews got a handle on the blaze, a body was discovered nearby.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m.

The Kelowna RCMP says criminality is not suspected in the death of a local man Saturday night. 

Emergency crews were called to a structure fire in the 4000 block of Anderson Road in Ellison just after 10 p.m.

A vehicle and trailer were fully engulfed while smoke was seen coming from a nearby residence. Firefighters came across the man’s body in the home. 

“At this time, criminality is not suspected in the man’s death and the BC Coroners Service is also investigating,” said Cpl. Stuart Smith of the Kelowna Regional Detachment.

The identity of the man, who was in his mid 30s, is not being released.

UPDATE 2 p.m.

Ellison Fire Chief David Bates says a body was discovered in the home adjacent to a multiple vehicle fire Saturday night. 

Crews were called to the rural property on Anderson Road at around 10 p.m. for a structure fire, arriving to find a burning van and cargo trailer. After 15 firefighters got a handle on the blaze, they discovered a body in a nearby home on the property. 

Bates says the home was not involved in the vehicle fire, but had some charring near the bottom of it.

Explosions heard by neighbours were likely due to tires blowing in the fire, Bates said.

The RCMP has now taken over the investigation. Castanet has requested additional information from police.

ORIGINAL 1:45 p.m.

The Ellison Fire Department attended a fire at a property on Anderson Road on Saturday night. 

At about 10 p.m. Castanet received reports of a fire, with some hearing an explosion in the area.

"We were called out to a building on fire, we showed up and there was a cargo trailer on fire," says Fire Chief David Bates.

According to Bates, a van was parked next to the cargo trailer and when fire crews arrived on scene, the tires had already blown on the van, which is potentially the reason nearby people heard an explosion.

More to come...