Fire fatality confirmed

UPDATE 11:10 a.m.

The victim of the fire has been identified by neighbours as a long-time resident of the area, Wayne Rundle. 

ORIGINAL 10:35 a.m.

The Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department and BC Coroners Service has confirmed a man in his 70's died in a fire Thursday evening in the Peach Cliff Estates mobile home park.

Fire crews were called to the home shortly before 5 p.m. for a barbecue fire, but arrived to a fully engulfed home.

“It quickly spread to the side of the house, caught the car on fire, and the car fueled the house with the gas tank and it just took off from there,” OK Falls Fire Chief Rob Oliver said.

“We had a hell of a time getting it out,” he added.

The Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department was also called in to assist.

Oliver says they had trouble accessing the front door of the home because the deck was burned and weakened.

“So we started popping windows out, put a ventilation fan in and started pouring the water to it,” he said, adding mobile home fires can be notoriously hard to extinguish because they can continue to burn in the ceiling.

Fire crews were on scene for five hours, until about 10 p.m. dealing with the fire.

Castanet will identify the victim of the blaze once next of kin has been notified.