A fire completely destroyed the site host’s trailer and sent two to the hospital on the northwest side of Okanagan Lake early Wednesday.
Originally reported as a brush fire 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 firefighters arrived.
The fire department said the two people in the trailer suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital by ambulance.
Camper Sheldon Reddekop said he awoke just after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, when someone was driving through the campground and shouted “Fire!” was shouting.
“I ran across the street and looked a little closer. I think, there was a boom. A propane tank or something blew up and then [I] Saw a tree candle… and we’re like, ‘Ah yeah, we’re going to get out of here,’ Reddekop recalled.
Seeing as the White Rock Lake wildfires progressed rapidly in the area last year, the Reddecope’s group from nearby Vernon decided to grab what they could and leave.
The other campers who had stayed started towards the host site near the entrance.
“Quite visual. It was traveling like a mountain. I was hoping the trees weren’t on fire. It looked like it was grabbing the bottom of the trees, but they got it under control very quickly, ”said camper Gradin Robertson.
“I’m glad it was controlled” [and] No one had to leave and go out…could have been worse.”
In fact, the deputy fire chief said it could have been a disaster if it had happened in the dry conditions of 2021.
As it was, the trailer burned down in its frame, but the fire was largely in a campsite.
Officials do not yet know what caused the fire or it is suspicious. However, the fire department informed the police about the fire. An officer was taking pictures on Wednesday.
The site hosts are expected to return and in the meantime, the campground remains open.
The provincial government, which manages the site, said it was investigating.
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