An Osoyoos home was demolished on Thursday, after a fire ripped through it on Wednesday night.

Osoyoos Fire Chief Rick Jones said they responded to the blaze on 33rd Street at around 6:45 p.m.

The house was fully involved when they arrived on scene. The woman who lived there was at home, and the husband and the son came back, according to Jones.

They got out safely and there were no reports of any injuries, said Jones.

“It was going pretty good when we got there. A lack of fire hydrants in the area made it harder to fight,” he said.

The fire chief said the house is a complete write off, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

A woman with Emergency Social Services was also at the location. She said they have given the family vouchers for clothing, groceries and incidentals. There is also somewhere for them to stay.

Restoration services was on scene packing up the family’s few remaining belongings.

A family member who was at the scene, identified as the son, declined to comment.

He surveyed the blackened home being torn down and spoke with different people who showed up from firefighters to those providing other assistance.

Melanie Sullivan, a woman who lives next door, said she got home just after the fire started.

“It was just dreadful,” she said, as she left her home with a friend. “I was very concerned as it was really windy last night and a lot of smoke came into my house.”

On Thursday, she made plans to stay elsewhere, because her home will need to be cleaned.

Neighbour Peter Dempster said he was unable to sleep in his nearby home because of the wind blowing the smoke in.

Others described it as a very scary experience, with the high winds blowing the smoke around, and expressed concern for the welfare of the family.

Thanks to Castanet