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A fire broke out Monday morning at Hearthstone Supportive Housing in Kelowna, triggering a major emergency response and forcing the evacuation of all 46 suites in the building. Firefighters rescued one unresponsive resident from the burning unit, and the incident has intensified concerns among nearby businesses about crime and disorder in the area.
Fire Crews Rescue Unresponsive Resident
Larry Watkinson, deputy fire chief with the Kelowna Fire Department, said crews arrived to find fire and smoke coming from the second floor. One person inside the unit was unresponsive and required rescue. “The alarms were sounding and the person was just unresponsive at that point,” Watkinson said. The individual suffered smoke inhalation as a result of the blaze.
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The building sustained both water and smoke damage. Several residents were temporarily displaced following the incident. Watkinson confirmed that the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Hearthstone, located on Commerce Avenue, is operated by the John Howard Society of Okanagan. The organization did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Nearby Businesses Report Growing Concerns
The fire comes as local businesses near Hearthstone report worsening conditions in the surrounding area. Shawn Kopf manages MasterGlass AutoGlass, which sits directly next to the supportive housing complex. He said the situation has steadily deteriorated over the three years he has worked at the location.
“I’ve been working here for three years at this location now, and it’s just gotten progressively worse,” Kopf said. He regularly sees people using drugs openly near the building and in front of nearby businesses. “They’ll just do it anywhere in front of the John Howard Society building here, in front of our windows,” he said. “You’re seeing 30 to 40 people walking like zombies around here daily, falling asleep in the bushes.”
Incidents Captured on Surveillance Cameras
Businesses on the other side of Hearthstone have also raised concerns. Last week, surveillance cameras recorded a person ripping out plants outside a nearby commercial building. Several weeks earlier, someone tied door handles to an office together with plastic bags. That incident temporarily trapped Gerald Goertsen inside while his vehicle was broken into outside.
“It’s not safe to be here anymore, and something needs to change,” Goertsen told Global News in September.
Meanwhile, Kopf said business operators in the area feel frustrated and ignored. He argued that those causing harm face little accountability. “There’s no consequence for the actions that they take that harm the community,” he said. Business owners say they continue to deal with increasing drug use, property crime and ongoing disorder, and they are calling for meaningful action to address the situation.
