A fire at Okanagan Falls Playa Okanagan RV Park on Monday (February 17) destroyed one RV and caused damage to two others. Firefighters responded to the scene, extinguishing the flames before they could spread further.
Okanagan Falls Fire Chief Fred Dobransky said the cause of the fire remains under investigation but is not considered suspicious. Fire crews arrived to find an RV fully engulfed in flames, with heat exposure affecting nearby units.
Twenty-two firefighters responded to the call. The RV owner was in town when he received a call notifying him of the fire and returned immediately.
“There was a couple of trailers that got heat exposures from the main fire, one on the east side, which was not able to move, as it was a fifth-wheel trailer, she got the most damage on hers,” Dobransky said, as reported by Castanet on February 18.
Another RV, a Class C model, sustained heat damage but was moved before the fire spread. “She was able to start up her RV and move it out of the way. Unfortunately, she got some heat damage on hers there too, where she couldn’t get her doors closed. It is basically just cosmetic, but there is damage on those,” Dobransky said.
The Class C RV’s smoke alarm was triggered as the fire intensified, allowing the owner to take action. Dobransky emphasized the importance of working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in RVs, especially for units using propane heating systems.
“[Drivers] should always have a working smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors. All these people run their trailers off of propane heaters. And I always say, make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in your trailers, please.”
Fire crews found six deceased puppies inside the burned RV. Some puppies, along with their parents, managed to escape.
“A couple of puppies came out, with the mom and dad, but we found the six others later into the evening,” Dobransky said.
The ALERT Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team arrived on the scene to treat injuries and care for the surviving animals.