– Everyone escaped safely from rapidly spreading blaze –

(OSOYOOS TIMES — August 8, 2007) –

By Lawrence McMahenrnOsoyoos Times

A lakeshore Osoyoos home at 8503 Kingfisher Drive was gutted by a spectacular fire at suppertime Saturday as hundreds of people gathered on a nearby hillside and in boats on the water to watch.
Fire Chief Rick Jones confirms that the rapidly spreading blaze completely destroyed the home of longtime local resident Ida Bergquist.
Jones said while insurance investigators still have to inspect the scene, it appears the fire started in the garage, attached to the house.
The call came in at 5:50 p.m. and by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, it was obvious the house was lost, Jones says “ so they concentrated on spraying water on the next-door home and managed to save it from any major damage.
Bergquist, a widow, says she has lived in the house for 30 years. She had her son, Brad Bergquist from Langley, and daughter, Linda Davreux from Osoyoos, and their families over for dinner when the blaze started.
Davreux says, We saw a puff of smoke go toward the lake and all we had time to do was run out of the house.rnEveryone got out safely, and while most of their possessions were lost, firefighters entered the home and were able to retrieve family photographs.
Two pets, a dog and cat, also made it out.
Bergquist says there were a number of loud pops when a dozen small campstove propane tanks in the garage exploded.
She has stayed in her camper van, parked at her daughter's house in town, since the fire, but plans to move into a motel.
Bergquist says the support has been great from neighbours, friends, and her fellow Red Hatters club members. She thanks Frances Sologuk, of Home Hardware, who gave her and her son shoes to wear, since they ran out of the house without any.
The family thanks the firefighters for their work.