UPDATE: Cause of West Kelowna fire not conclusive, but suspected to be accidental

(UPDATE: June 23 @ 9:15 am) - Investigators have not been able to conclusively determine the cause of Sunday's fire in West Kelowna.

However, Fire Chief Jason Brolund says the fire near the intersection of Dobbin and Elliott roads is suspected to be accidental in nature.

"Based on witness statements the cause may have been electrical," Brolund explained. "An object was reportedly seen falling from the vicinity of the power lines in a shower of sparks prior to fire being seen on the ground."

(Original story: June 22 @ 6 am) - West Kelowna Fire Rescue was called out to a fire near Dobbin and Elliott roads on Sunday afternoon.

Chief Jason Brolund said reports came in around 4 pm regarding an explosion and ensuing fire right near the Chevron at that intersection.

While the proximity to the gas station likely spooked the public, Brolund explained that the electrical hazards provided the biggest obstacles for firefighters.

“First-arriving crews found landscaping and bushes on fire at the base of a power pole that was also burning. An outbuilding related to the nearby fuel station was also at risk due to the fire,” he said.

“The pole contained numerous live high-voltage cables. The area was secured at a safe distance to ensure that no one would be impacted if the burning pole fell or live electrical wires dropped.”

Crews needed to wait on the arrival of BC Hydro to disconnect the power before they could jump into action to suppress the flames.

The response resulted in a short lane closure of Dobbin Road and an extended closure of Elliott Road, as well as a power outage for just over 3,000 BC Hydro customers.

The fire was extinguished and its cause remains under investigation at this time.