Gorman’s Mill saved from path of wind-fed fire – Okanagan

A well-known business in West Kelowna was hit by another growing fire this weekend.

The fire started around 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the grass and trees near the Glenrosa/97 interchange on the south side of the City of West Kelowna and was moving toward the Gorman Bros. Lumber storage yard.

“A white plume of smoke was clearly visible throughout the city,” Fire Chief Jason Brolund said in a news release.

Four fire stations in the city responded to the scene and their efforts prevented the fire from spreading beyond 0.1 hectares, which is remarkable considering the fire was fanned by wind, dry grass and rolling terrain.

Receive national news daily

Receive the most important news, political, economic and current affairs topics in your inbox every day.

“While the rainfall and higher humidity of the past week helped, we were still experiencing cross-fire conditions this afternoon,” Brolund said.

2:21
Okanagan Mills running out of inventory

“Temperatures (above 30 C) and low humidity (below 30 percent) with winds (above 30 km/h) combined to accelerate the spread of the fire. This is a reminder that we must remain vigilant as the fire season continues.”

There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Brolund said it was likely man-made.

In 2009, winds brought another bushfire in Glenrosa dangerously close to the Gorman family’s business.

On July 18, 2009, a fire broke out on the hillside behind the Gorman Bros. Lumber Mill in West Kelowna and the mill’s maintenance crews stayed behind to protect the operation.

Their efforts, along with those of the fire department, proved successful, although the homes of two members of the Gorman family were lost.

© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.