Suspicious fire on Rossland Avenue add to surge in KBRFR call volume
By Rossland Telegraph
On Feb. 4, at 6:29 a.m, Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue (KBRFR) responded to a reported structure fire at a vacant building located on Rossland Avenue.
Station 374 Trail responded with 13 firefighters, with additional support from five firefighters from Station 371 Rossland. Upon arrival, crews observed visible smoke coming from the building. Firefighters immediately established scene control and initiated fire suppression operations.
Crews conducted aggressive fire attack, successfully bringing the fire under control and preventing further extension. No injuries were reported, and the building was confirmed to be vacant at the time of the incident.
Due to the circumstances surrounding the fire, it is considered suspicious in nature. The incident is under investigation by Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue and RCMP.
This, a scant week after Fire Chief Dan Derby reported a dramatic increase in fire department call volume in 2026.
“Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 27, we have responded to 199 calls for service, compared to 103 calls during the same period last year—a nearly 93 per cent increase. Most notably, this morning’s fire was the third fire in the last 72 hours, tragically one of these incidents resulted in a fatality.
“These numbers reflect the growing pressures facing our community and the critical role all our first responders provide every day,” he added. “Despite the increased call volume, our members will continue to adapt and respond quickly and professionally, around the clock.”
