Authorities investigate grass fire in Vernon park

VERNON – A grass fire in Becker Park does not appear to be the work of Vernon’s serial arsonist.

The fire broke out around 10 p.m. Sunday in Becker Park, off 39 Avenue downtown Vernon.

“It is totally out of the norm of all the other fires we are investigating,” police spokesperson Gord Molendyk says.

Authorities are investigating a string of 18 suspicious fires in the area over the past several weeks involving dumpsters, boats, vehicles and wooden pallets.

Molendyk says it’s not the first time Becker Park, a place frequented by street people, has been the site of a grass fire.

“It seems like every year, every second year, we do get a fire up in Becker Park,” Molendyk says. “We have people who sleep up there and spend time there.”

Police and the Vernon Fire Department will continue to investigate the Becker park fire.

Meanwhile, police are asking residents to keep their eyes and ears open for any suspicious activity that might provide a lead in the suspected arson files.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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.