Firefighters snuff out two structure fires Sunday

VERNON – Vernon firefighters responded to two structure fires within hours of each other Sunday.

Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says the first call came in around noon from a home on Peregrine Way.

“There appeared to have been a discarded, smoking material in a potted plant on a patio,” Blair says.

Fortunately, the fire was put out in short order with little to no damage to the residence. The close-call is a caution and a reminder that while the dry months of summer are drawing to a close, it’s important to discard of cigarettes and other burning materials safely year round, Blair says.

Hours later, around 6 p.m., crews were called out to the Vernon Jazz Club above Nolan’s Pharmasave on 30 Avenue for another reported structure fire.

Firefighters arrived to a smoldering pile of wood and other material in the building, believed to have caught fire due to an electrical short circuit in a wall outlet.

Crews made quick work of the fire, ripping open the wall to ensure all hotspots were put out. 

“Fortunately both these (incidents) were noticed in time and people were quick to alert 911,” Blair says.

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.