Vernon fire crews extinguish suspicious blaze next to retirement residence

Fire crews in Vernon put out a blaze burning behind a downtown business first thing this morning.

Vernon Fire Rescue Services were at the scene of the fire at roughly 5:20 a.m. today, Feb. 15, which was burning at a business in the 3300 block of Coldstream Avenue, according to a media release.

Fire crews managed to prevent the flames from spreading inside the building. The media release does not name the business where the fire took place.

"Once the fire was knocked down, crews entered the building and confirmed there was no fire extension inside. However, smoke did enter the business and caused damage, so the building was ventilated," Vernon Fire Rescue Services deputy fire chief Alan Hofsink said in a City of Vernon media release.

"The business where the fire took place is located next to a multi-storey retirement residence… The fire was contained to the single property and there was no extension or damage to the adjacent structures."

RCMP are investigating as the blaze has been deemed suspicious.

The City is also cautioning businesses about what they can do to prevent such incidents from occurring.

“Over the last couple years, Vernon Fire Rescue Services has been dispatched to many fires that have been started in commercial dumpsters or where stockpiles of pallets, debris and other material have been found. We know this is concerning for our business community, our residents and our first responders. Therefore, we want to take a moment to highlight some simple steps that can be taken to reduce fire risks," Hofsink said in the release.

"Property owners are strongly encouraged to take a close look at their outdoor areas and regularly remove debris, pallets and other combustible materials from their sites, confirm compounds are fully secured, and check dumpsters every day to make sure they are secured and locked."

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.