West Kelowna RCMP Seek Suspect After Multiple Weekend Fires

A West Kelowna resident says he is still shaken after one of several suspicious fires early Saturday burned about 10 feet from his home, part of a cluster of blazes in the Shannon Lake Road and Old Okanagan Highway area that police believe are connected.

West Kelowna RCMP is investigating the incidents, and no arrests had been announced. Fire officials and police are now asking residents to stay alert during a season when even a small fire can spread quickly.

Fires in a West Kelowna park

The suspicious fires were reported in the area of Shannon Lake Road and Old Okanagan Highway early Saturday.

At a park in the area, fires were set in a portable toilet and at a gazebo. The portable toilet fire spread toward a nearby building before firefighters brought it under control. The gazebo fire was extinguished by passersby before it could spread.

A grass fire was also lit along Old Okanagan Highway, where firefighters quickly put it out.

RCMP believe the incidents are connected.

“Fortunately, these fires were detected and extinguished quickly before causing significant damage,” Cpl. Devon Gerrits said in a police release. “We are asking anyone who may have information about these incidents to come forward and assist investigators.”

Flames near a home

For resident Josh Sidhe, the danger came frighteningly close.

One blaze burned about 10 feet from his home. Sidhe and his partner used a garden hose to keep it from spreading while they waited for fire crews.

“There is a pillar of fire, so I’m panicking,” Sidhe told Global News. “I assumed my house was also on fire and that there was an out-of-control wildfire that sprung up overnight.”

He said the close call has stayed with him.

“It’s still a shock that we didn’t lose everything because it could have happened so fast,” Sidhe said.

He also described the emotional impact of waking to a fire so close to home.

“I feel like my life was threatened,” he said. “That’s part of why I’m so scared because I’m a heavy sleeper. What happens if it happens again?”

RCMP seek public help

Witnesses reported seeing a tall man in dark clothing with “weird hair” walking away from the area. RCMP are asking for public help identifying him.

Police have asked anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area to come forward.

The request comes as investigators work through a series of fires that authorities believe were linked, with no arrests announced.

Wildfire season adds urgency

West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said the fires were especially concerning because of wildfire season.

“Now is an incredibly dangerous time during wildfire season,” Brolund told Global News. “The time of year we’re in, fires have the opportunity to spread quickly and grow fast.”

Brolund also urged residents to remain watchful.

“We’re urging the community to keep your eye out and make a report to 911 if you see someone setting fires or notice anything suspicious in your neighbourhood,” he said.

For residents near Shannon Lake Road and Old Okanagan Highway, the fires were not an abstract warning. They were a close call in the dark, stopped before they could spread much farther.

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