UPDATE 8:15 a.m. – Power is mostly back on for BC Hydro customers in downtown Kamloops after a major outage last night.
About 10 customers in the area of Seymour Street and 7th Avenue were without power as crews work to repair a damaged power pole.
Find the latest updates from BC Hydro here.
ORIGINAL – Nearly 1,900 BC Hydro customers in Kamloops were without power Monday night after a fire in the alley between the 700-block of Victoria and Seymour streets downtown.
Emergency crews were called to the 700-block of Victoria Street around 10:30 p.m., August 14 to reports of a large fire that was visible from across parts of Kamloops.
Witnesses at the scene told Radio NL they saw flames that were several feet high, leading to fears the fire could spread to nearby homes and businesses.
Emergency personnel at the scene were unable to say what caused the fire, though residents say a blown transformer behind Smorgasbord Deli was likely to blame. Some residents also took to social media to report hearing a “boom in the alley” leading up to the fire while others reported power fluctuations earlier in the day, around 6:30 p.m.
Fire appears to have been behind Smorgasbord Deli, as indicated by the arrow.
Unclear if trees caught fire and spread to power lines or the transformer blew and lit the trees on fire.@kamloopsRCMP blocking Victoria between 7th and 8th, while @KamFire is on scene.#Kamloops pic.twitter.com/aEDRv7ALsi
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) August 15, 2023
While the flames also engulfed a row of what appeared to be cedar trees behind the businesses, the fire appeared to be mostly extinguished around 11 p.m.
There is no word on any injuries, though it appears some of the businesses were damaged by fire, though it’s not clear to what extent.
As of publishing, BC Hydro said there were about 280 customers still without power, with an estimated restoration time of 8 a.m. Tuesday, August 15.
There was no official word on a cause of the fire though.
More to come
Here’s a better view of the fire from earlier.
Definitely looks & feels like the transformer blew & it spread to the trees in the alley.
Extra power consumption would also likely explain the ~30 second power outage from earlier this evening. #Kamloops https://t.co/B1mFxrlGs8
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) August 15, 2023