Vernon Fire Department
(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)
July 17, 2014 - 10:42 AM
VERNON - Fire sent the residents of a Vernon townhouse running Thursday morning.
The fire, which started around 7:30 a.m. in the second floor bedroom of a 44 Street townhouse, is considered suspicious.
"We are looking into the possibility there was a disagreement betwen the residents," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says, adding the occupants were two young men.
Police do not believe the fire is connected to a series of suspected arsons sweeping the city. Those suspicious fires have involved boats, dumpsters, vehicles and recently the Kin Race Track grandstands, most set around 11:30 p.m.
Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says the residents of the unit where the fire started and those in two neighbouring units likely won’t be able to return home for a couple days. Emergency Social Services is on scene assisting the displaced residents.
“The fire was quite heavily involved upon arrival, venting out the rear windows of the second floor,” Blair says.
Firefighters performed an offensive attack and knocked the fire down, confining it to the unit of origin.
Police and the Vernon Fire Department continue to investigate the cause of the fire.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
— This story was edited at 2 p.m. July 17 to say the fire is considered suspicious.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014