Fire fighters face flames and ice

It was a battle with the elements for a South Okanagan fire department.

Fire broke out at a workshop and garage on 91st Street in Oliver just after 12:30 Monday afternoon.

In addition to the flames, crews also had to deal with ice.

Fire Chief, Dave Jensen, says there was visible flames coming out of the structure when crews arrived.

“What we believe happened was the property owner was working in his garage, he was working with a metal mini-grinder, which created sparks. One of the sparks landed in some material, catching fire,” says Jansen.

He says the owner left his shop to have lunch at his nearby house, unaware of the smoldering material.

“He looked out his window and saw that his workshop and garage were on fire. We were on scene for close to three and half hours, the structure was totally destroyed.”

Jensen says there was another element working against fire fighters, the extreme cold.

“With such cold temperatures Monday, the water pooling on the ground from the fire hoses was freezing, creating icy sections, making movement around the area more difficult.”

He says freezing water is something crews sometimes have to deal with in the winter, but fortunately, it doesn’t happen too often.