Nelson Fire and Rescue Services responded to reports of explosions and black smoke on the old Kootenay Forest Products deck on the shore of Kootenay Lake on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
According to a news release, crews arrived to find that a two metre by four metre area of the heavy timber deck was on fire.
The fire did not spread and was extinguished within minutes.
“Crews encountered camping gear and the remains of a tent in the burnt area,” the news release states. “The tent and gear were later determined to belong to a transient couple who had been sheltering under the deck.”
It is believed the sounds of the explosions were due to some of the almost empty propane and butane cannisters rapidly venting the remainder of their contents cause by the heat of the fire.
The fire appears to have originated in the tent and primarily affected the tent and its contents, but there was also serious charring to some of the timbers underneath the tent. No one was in the tent or the immediate area at the time of the fire and there were no injuries.
Damage is estimated at $3,000.
Nelson Fire and Rescue Services would like to remind everyone to ensure that all propane tanks are stored outside of homes, including tents.