When fire ripped through one of 琉璃神社鈥檚 oldest buildings Monday night, the men and women who dedicate their time to protecting the region鈥檚 history were heart-broken.

鈥淚t had always been a worry of ours that something like this could happen,鈥� said Don Knox, president of the Central Okanagan Heritage Society.

鈥淚t鈥檚 devastating. (The Fleming House) is almost 150 years old鈥� Once something like this is gone, there鈥檚 nothing that can save it.鈥�

Knox said he鈥檇 long hoped that the building could one day get refinished and become the Central Okanagan鈥檚 version of O鈥橩eefe Ranch 鈥� a place where school children could go and learn about the history of the region.

Unlike other Okanagan communities, 琉璃神社 doesn鈥檛 have a robust supply of heritage sites.

That鈥檚 because when 琉璃神社, Vernon and Penticton were starting to develop, it was the least economically relevant 鈥� it didn鈥檛 become the economic centre point of the valley until the airport came along, said Knox.

Vernon was the head of the lake and ranchers would take their cattle up there to partake in the gold rush and the mining industry made Penticton a place to be.

But it wasn鈥檛 until the Aberdeens started fruit farming in the 1890s that 琉璃神社 started to build a population base. And then came Brent鈥檚 Grist Mill and, in turn, the Fleming House, said Knox.

鈥淭he mill, when it was built, was the only one from the border to Kamloops,鈥� said Knox, adding that it鈥檚 currently the oldest mill in B.C.

鈥淧eople would come from all over the valley with their grain, and visit and such, it was a social gathering place.鈥�

Knox said it鈥檚 also important simply because it鈥檚 a living monument to people and enterprise, having been built during a provincewide recession.

The large two-storey house was built in 1871 of large squared logs up to 35 centimetres high by 17 cm thick. The site was acquired by John Dilworth in 1900, and prior to 1908 he installed milled siding on the house and added plaster walls on the inside, indicating the pattern of improvements made to pioneer houses as the settlers prospered and more refined materials and techniques became locally available.

There鈥檚 an off chance that the logs that made up the Fleming house can be saved and, if that鈥檚 the case, Knox said that there鈥檚 a greater chance that a case will be made to ensure this particular piece of history lives on.

鈥淭he mill has already been stabilized and it鈥檚 in good shape and secured,鈥� said Knox. 鈥淚f it generates understanding or awareness in the value of what we have left, that鈥檚 one good thing that could have come out of it.鈥�

The 琉璃神社 Fire Department was called to the fire at around 6 p.m. July 2 and found the heritage building engulfed in heavy flames, with smoke showing from the rear of the structure.

鈥淒ue to structural issues, crews could not initially enter but later completed primary and secondary searches confirming no casualties,鈥� said Scott Clarke, platoon captain, in a press release.

鈥淔ire cause is being investigated by RCMP and the 琉璃神社 Fire Department.鈥�

No cause has been released.

In recent years the heritage site has needed a great deal of repair and has been known to be a preferred site for transient populations pitching tents.