House fire on Kalavista Drive in Coldstream. (Pete McIntyre/Vernon Matters photo)

By Pete McIntyre

Cause not known

UPDATE: Coldstream home sustains ‘catastrophic’ damage in fire; dogs woke occupants up

Mar 29, 2022 | 3:45 PM

UPDATE: 4:00 p.m.

Investigators still don’t know what caused a major house fire on Kalavista Drive in Coldstream this morning.

Fire chief Fiona Morgenthaler Code says the investigation is still in the early stages.

“There are still a lot of hot spots that we are dousing as they pop up and that’s going to smolder for some time. The investigator has been there most of the day. We’ll leave security on it all night.”

The point of origin has also not been confirmed, although the chief doesn’t think it was suspicious.

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“No, it doesn’t sound like it.”

Mogenthaler Code says propane tanks were exploding as the fire crews arrived at the scene just after 4:30 a.m.

“If we don’t get them out before they get too hot, they will explode on us. They are unpredictable.”

The homeowners, their son, and their two dogs all got out without injuries.

“I know their dogs woke them up,” Mogenthaler Code told Vernon Matters.

She described the damage to the house as “catastrophic,” with minimal items possibly able to be salvaged.

There was minor damage to a nearby home, with those residents evacuated initially, but they have now returned home.

There was also two vehicles and a boat damaged and the home owners were insured.

Twenty-four firefighters from Coldstream and Lavington were on the scene.

“We all worked really hard,” said Morgenthaler Code.

A home in Coldstream has sustained major damage in an early morning fire on Kalavista Drive.

A boat and some cars were also damaged in the blaze that broke just before 5 a.m. and included some loud explosions due to some propane tanks exploding.

Fire officials say the occupants and their pets all got out safely, and there is no word on the cause as yet.

==

Original story 5:50 a.m.

Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire in Coldstream.

A home on Kalavista Drive has sustained major damage in a blaze that broke out around 5 a.m.

House fire on Kalavista Drive in Coldstream (Pete McIntyre/Vernon Matters photo)

The occupants of the home appeared to have all gotten out.

Some cars near the house have also been damaged.

Crews from the Coldstream and Lavington fire departments are at the scene along with police.

The home is located near the Kalavista boat launch, just east of Kalamalka Lake.

Firefighters douse house fire (Vernon Matters photo)

It is not known what caused the fire at this point.