A suspicious structure fire in Vernon’s downtown core was quickly extinguished by firefighters before it could spread to nearby trees.
The fire started on the exterior of a cabin structure in the 3000 block of 31st Avenue, a heritage building that was Vernon’s first post office. The wood cabin is in a park space adjacent to Lower BX Creek, across the street from the Schubert Centre.
“The fire caused minor damage to the exterior and roof of the building, but crews stopped it from spreading to the interior,” said Deputy Fire Chief Alan Hofsink. “No injuries were reported during the incident. The fire has been deemed suspicious and the file has been handed over to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP for investigation.”
Vernon Fire Rescue was dispatched to the fire around 8:30 a.m. Upon arrival, crews found that smoke was coming from the structure. Crews knocked the fire down and remained on scene for some time to ensure the blaze was completely out.
The fire left a trail of burnt exterior that extended up the rear of the building to the roof.
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