Two people are hospitalized in a fire at Evely Recreation Site in Okanagan
A fire at the Evely campground on the northwest side of Lake Okanagan completely destroyed the host’s trailer early Wednesday and hospitalized two.
Originally reported as a bushfire by someone who saw it from across the lake, the deputy chief of North Westside Fire Rescue said the trailer was already completely engulfed when the fire engines arrived.
According to the fire department, two people in the trailer escaped with minor injuries and were taken to the hospital by ambulance.
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Camper Sheldon Reddekopp said he was woken up just after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning to someone driving through the campground shouting “Fire!”
“I ran to the street and took a closer look. I think there was a boom. A propane tank or something exploded and then [I] saw a tree candle… and we were like, ‘Ah yeah, we’re going to get out of here,'” Reddekopp recalled.
Reddekopp’s group from nearby Vernon remembered how the White Rock Lake wildfire moved quickly through the area last year and decided to grab what they could and leave.
Other campers who stayed headed towards the host site near the entrance.
“Quite a scene. It went up the mountain, so to speak. I was hoping the trees wouldn’t catch fire. Looks like it grabbed the tree roots but they got it under control pretty quickly,” said camper Gradyn Robertson.
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“I’m just glad it got checked [and] Nobody had to go and evacuate… Could have been a lot worse.”
Indeed, the deputy fire chief said if that had happened in the dry conditions of 2021, there could have been a disaster.
Although the caravan burned down to the frame, the fire was largely contained to one campsite.
Officials don’t yet know what started the fire or if it’s suspicious. However, the fire brigade reported the fire to the police. An officer was there on Wednesday taking photos.
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The campsite hosts are expected to return and in the meantime the campsite will remain open.
The provincial government, which manages the website, said it is investigating the case.
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https://globalnews.ca/news/8972295/fire-at-okanagans-evely-recreation-site-sends-two-to-hospital/ Two people are hospitalized in a fire at Evely Recreation Site in Okanagan
