A home on the Okanagan Indian Reserve was engulfed by flames Sunday.
Firefighters were called to a mobile home blaze at Newport Beach at 1:10 a.m.
“When we arrived, the front part of the building had already collapsed in on itself and the fire was moving through the rest of the trailer,” said Dave Lawrence, Okanagan Indian Band fire chief.
There was little that could be done to save the mobile home.
“We made sure the flames didn’t spread to other trailers,” said Lawrence.
A woman was asleep inside the mobile home when the fire broke out.
“She heard a loud bang. She came out into the hallway and everything was on fire,” said Lawrence.
The resident is staying with family in Vernon.
A major challenge for firefighters was the extremely cold temperature, which dropped down to about minus 19.
“As soon as the water hit the ground, it was turning to ice. Everything was freezing,” said Lawrence.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
