A normally dark stretch of Westside Road was suddenly lit up Tuesday night, not by streetlights, but by a burst of colorful sparks shot from a moving vehicle.
Deena Johansen was behind the wheel when it happened and watched it all unfold from her rearview mirror.
“I was shocked. My heart was racing,” she said. “I jerked my wheel. I was very thankful I wasn’t on one of the very narrow parts of Westside Road.”
Startled by what she saw, Johansen pulled over to check for flames.
“I was like, this is going to start a fire,” she recalled. “I just had a weird feeling that something bad was going to happen from it.”
Hours later, a grass fire was spotted near Bear Creek Provincial Park, the same area where Johansen had seen the fireworks. While fire officials haven’t officially linked the blaze to the incident, the timing and location have raised concerns.
“We responded alongside other regional fire departments in support of the wildfire service to put out what was a rapidly growing wildfire,” said West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund.
The fire is now extinguished and is suspected to be human-caused.
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“We’re almost done with fire season,” he said, “but to see someone being so careless, with such little regard for their own safety and the safety of others, it’s very upsetting.”
Fireworks have already caused problems in West Kelowna this year. Over the summer, two fires that sparked in a single day were linked to their use.
“We just don’t need it,” Brolund said. “We need everyone to do their part, and that includes, quite frankly, not being stupid.”
With Halloween around the corner, Brolund hopes the public takes the warning seriously.
“Improper use of fireworks is dangerous,” he said. “Fireworks are not permitted to be sold in the Central Okanagan. They are not permitted to be used without a permit.”
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