Penticton residents displaced due to safety hazard from damaged crane after fire – Okanagan

Nearly two days after a fire destroyed a long-term care home under construction, hot spots were still burning in a PentictonBC, construction site Friday as officials worked to address the safety hazards left behind.

The fire broke out late Wednesday at the site along Green Avenue near Highway 97, the property that once housed the estate of prominent businessman David Kampe.

The intensity of the fire forced tactical evacuations of 16 nearby homes, as embers spread across the area and flames compromised a large construction crane, raising concerns it could collapse.

“It’s devastating,” said Wendy Calhoun, director of operations for Kaigo Seniors Living. “It’s something we never thought we’d have to deal with.”

The danger posed by the damaged crane prompted the City of Penticton to declare a local state of emergency late Thursday and activate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

“We only put this in place because we needed the power to evacuate again,” said Mike Larsson, the city’s fire chief. “We wanted to make sure the roads were closed for safety and security of the country.”

While residents of six homes have been allowed to return, 10 properties remain under evacuation orders as officials determine how to safely dismantle the crane.

Four of the houses sustained damage, six more are in the path of the crane if it collapses.

“Through the Emergency Operations Center, we have Emergency Support Services teams,” said Anthony Haddad, EOC director and city manager.

“They have had the opportunity to meet with residents over the last couple of days and make sure their needs are met.”

City officials say removing the crane remains a top priority before displaced residents can return home safely.

“We don’t have a set time right now, but we’ve been in a lot of talks and a lot of meetings over the last 24 hours,” said Mike Larsson, the city’s fire chief. “They’re working on plans on how they can do that and we’re fully expecting that to be sometime next week.”

Despite the setbacks, builder and operator Kaigo Senior Living is assuring the community that Skaha Seniors Village, a 200-bed facility, will be built.

“Certainly hoping that things move quickly with regards to the investigations … so we can get back to the business of rebuilding,” Calhoun said.

“That’s our plan, is to rebuild, so we can get those much-needed beds open and ready for Penticton.”

Calhoun told Global News the project had been several weeks ahead of schedule before the fire, which should help lessen the impact of the delay.

“Hopefully that can help us now. If we can clean things up and get started, we might not be too far off schedule,” Calhoun said, adding that instead of an early 2028 finish, it could now be late 2028.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Investigators have not yet been able to enter the site due to concerns about the damaged crane.

However, officials say security video from the area has been obtained and is being reviewed.

“We’ve teamed up with the RCMP,” Larsson said. “We’ve reviewed security footage and spoken to witnesses in the area. We’ve been able to do that part of the investigation – now it’s a matter of going to the site and looking at the evidence at the site.”

Residents are asked to continue to avoid the area until the crane is removed and the local state of emergency is lifted.

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