Fire victim mourned

UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.

Condolences have been pouring in online for a 19-year-old West Kelowna man who died in hospital following a house fire.

Friends have posted saying a man named David Hunt died Thursday morning in hospital.

The explosive fire broke out just after 9:40 p.m. at a home off Elliott Road. Four people were inside the home at the time.

Chiara Boehlke, 21, and Aleck Villeneuve, 24, had been living there for three years. The couple were flown to Vancouver General Hospital and remain in critical condition. Hunt is said to be the younger brother of Villeneuve.

A fourth person was released from hospital with minor injuries.

Boehlke worked at Wicks Vape Shop in West Kelowna, where Hunt’s Facebook states he also worked.

A friend wrote “you were truly a good man, David, but you were also an amazing human being with an endless love for those around you.”

“He was family to lots of you, and a good friend of mine. It didn't matter what time of day it was. You could count on David being there to support you. It seemed like he had all the answers when it came to advice for our cars. Even without fully knowing someone, he would stop everything he was doing to lend a helping hand if you were in a bind.”

Hunt had just turned 19 years old on June 1.

“RIP David Hunt, you were my best friend in middle school. I have so many memories with you, brother,” one person wrote on Facebook.

Another said Hunt was "a great soul, a genuine person who is going to be missed by so many."

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UPDATE: 1:30 p.m.

A man is dead after fire gutted a home in West Kelowna and left two others in critical condition.

Four people were inside the home at the time of the fire, and all were taken to hospital, according to Kelowna RCMP.

“Sadly, one person has died, having succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Two have been deemed critical, and a fourth person has been released with minor injuries," says Cpl. Meghan Foster.

The BC Coroners Service and RCMP are investigating the blaze. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact RCMP at 250-768-2880.

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UPDATE: 1:30 p.m.

A young West Kelowna couple is recovering in hospital after an explosion that rattled neighbouring homes.

Chiara Boehlke, 21, and Aleck Villeneuve, 24, had been living at the home off Elliott Road for three years. All that remains of it is a pile of rubble.

The couple were inside watching TV and cooking, according to Chiara’s sister, when something exploded.

Firefighters rushed to the scene shortly after 9:40 p.m., found a fully engulfed home and multiple people with serious injuries.

“We found a very chaotic scene. We had multiple patients with severe injuries,” said West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund.

According to Jordan Boehlke,  Villeneuve ran back inside the burning home to try to rescue someone from the basement.

“We had calls as far away as Glenrosa, several kilometres away that people reporting their homes shook and pictures rattled on their walls,” said Brolund.

After learning a victim was inside the house, firefighters rushed in.

“They found the patient at the bottom of the stairs in the basement,” said Brolund. “He was severely injured.”

Villeneuve was quickly airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital, and Boehlke was airlifted shortly after.

The status of the other two people is unknown at this time.

Brolund said there were propane tanks at the scene, but the explosions could be from a number of causes.

“This is a very complex scene given the nature of the fire, given the fact that the house is in multiple small pieces now and there's things like water in the basement that needs to be removed,” said Brolund.

The investigation is expected to take days before a cause can be determined.

Villeneuve is believed to work as a mechanic in West Kelowna, and Boehlke worked at Wicks Vape shop in West Kelowna.

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ORIGINAL: 10:45 p.m.

A West Kelowna couple was airlifted to Vancouver with serious injuries after an explosion and fire at their home Wednesday night.

Loud explosions shook the Elliott Road neighbourhood just after 9:40 p.m., and the fire raged for hours.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find a fully engulfed structure and multiple people with serious injuries.

Chiara Boehlke and Aleck Villeneuve were living at the rental home and were rushed to Kelowna General Hospital.

“They were airlifted to VGH. He went last night, and she went this morning,” said Boehlke’s sister, Jordan Boehlke, who created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of all their belongings after everything was lost in the fire. 

“Last time I saw them, they were in pretty rough shape and going in and out,” she said. “I left the hospital at 3 a.m. this morning.”

The couple were the only ones living in the house at the time of the fire. Two others were taken to KGH, but the status of their injuries is unclear.

“We haven’t gotten any updates on the other two because they weren’t related to Chiara,” said Jordan.