Image credit: Teresa Ritchie

By Aaron Schulze

KFR Vehicle Fire

Kamloops’ Fire Station 1 in Sahali temporarily out of commission after rescue vehicle catches fire

Jun 18, 2025 | 10:26 AM

KAMLOOPS — Fire Station 1 in Kamloops will be out of commission for the foreseeable future after a spare rescue vehicle caught fire early Tuesday (June 17) morning.

Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) Assistant Chief Scott Johnson told CFJC Today the spare rescue vehicle was one of the force’s older rigs and it appears the fire around 2:20 a.m. Tuesday was caused by an electrical issue.

“There was significant damage to it, and it’s now a write-off,” Johnson said. “There’s normally two vehicles that run out of this hall. There is a little bit of hall damage as well, so we’ve got to take all those precautions.”

Fire Station 1, which services downtown Kamloops and Sahali from 1205 Summit Dr., experienced smoke damage following the vehicle fire. Johnson said restoration crews are on site, but there’s no estimated time when the hall will be fully operational.

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However, Johnson also said services are not expected to be impacted. While the two vehicles will operate out of different stations at various points throughout the day, he said crews will continue to cover the downtown and Sahali areas for most of the day.

“When there are break times and they have to get some rest, then they can go back to those halls rather than this hall because they can’t occupy it at this time,” Johnson said. “We’re still keeping them active in this area.”

KFR is looking at all its options regarding a replacement of the spare vehicle, but Johnson said no decision has been made. He noted insurance and buying a new or used vehicle are factors in play.

In the interim, KFR converted a spare apparatus into a rescue truck to replace the burned vehicle.