Tenants escape overnight fire that destroys Penticton, B.C. home

'When crews arrived, the house was fully involved and flames were venting out of the windows,' Penticton fire chief Mike Larsson said.

A South Okanagan home is thought to be a total loss following an overnight fire that sent two people to hospital for smoke inhalation.

The Penticton Fire Department says it was just after 2 a.m., when they received a call about smoke and flames coming from a home along the 300 block of Rigsby Street.

“When crews arrived, the house was fully involved and flames were venting out of the windows,” said fire chief Mike Larsson, adding it was a stubborn fire that required 23 firefighters to douse it.

The home’s three residents managed to escape the fire, though two were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

Global News spoke with a neighbour who said he happened to be outside when he saw smoke coming from the home.

He called 911 as the fire quickly developed. Large flames and plumes of smoke could be seen from across the downtown core.

The tenants made it out in time, but witnesses say they were covered in soot. Two were sent to hospital with smoke inhalation but have since been released.

Their pets, however, did not survive.