At approximately 9:50 a.m. Saturday, Chase RCMP and local fire departments received a report of a house fire in the 2800 block of Caen Road in Sorrento, near the Petro-Canada gas station on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were all dispatched to the scene of the fire. The occupants of the house had safely evacuated the building before crews arrived and were not injured.
Sean Coubrough, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s Fire Services Coordinator, says a neighbour saw the smoke and reported it to one of the homeowners who was working outside. The man then went into the house to get his spouse.
The Shuswap Fire Department was the initial responder but requested aid from other departments as the blaze was substantial by the time they arrived.
Tappen-Sunnybrae and White Lake departments assisted in extinguishing the fire and ensuring it was contained; the primary blaze was put out by about 10:30 a.m. but crews worked to douse hot spots for the next hour or more.
The building was considered compromised so crews brought in heavy machinery around 2 p.m. to destroy it.
The cause is not yet known.
“The fire started based in the garage area; the exact cause is currently under investigation,” Coubrough said.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
