Kelowna apartment fire leaves 1 dead, 17 displaced [Video]

One person is dead and 17 others have been displaced after a stubborn fire burned overnight in a Kelowna apartment building.

Firefighters were called to the scene in the 700 block of Bernard Avenue just after 5 p.m. Friday, the Kelowna Fire Department said in a statement Saturday morning.

Four engines, a ladder truck, a rescue vehicle and a safety officer responded to the scene, along with RCMP, BC Ambulance Service and FortisBC, firefighters said.

Crews arrived to find smoke and flame coming out of a second-storey window. Though they were able to knock it down “quickly,” firefighters said the blaze caused some “challenges” and required a crew to remain on scene overnight to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.

In a separate news release Saturday, Kelowna RCMP confirmed that a 42-year-old woman had died in the fire.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family of the victim and …