Kelowna business pleads for action on social issues after being forced to temporarily shut down

Flashpoint Tattoo Company in Kelowna sustained significant smoke and water damage from a fire on Tuesday.

Restoration crews have started a major cleanup job at a tattoo shop at the Rutland shopping plaza in Kelowna, B.C.

Flashpoint Tattoo Company sustained significant smoke and water damage from a fire on Tuesday.

“It’s a major disruption to business,” said Mark Beaulieu, the shop’s owner.

The fire started outside of the shop, and was believed  to have been caused by people experiencing homelessness.

“From what I hear, it was to warm some spaghetti,” Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu, who has owned and operated the tattoo shop for 10 years, said problems such as fires and crime have become far more common in recent years as the unhoused population grows and so too do the social issues that go along with it.

“We have had multiple fires here, just people keeping warm,” Beaulieu said. “Things have gotten really extreme around here. .As a matter of fact, my door has a lockout on it now…some of my staff, they don’t feel safe.”

The Kelowna Fire Department told Global News it’s aware of reports that a group of people experiencing homelessness may have been cooking food prior to flames erupting.