fire department
Illegal burn doused by Vernon firefighters
VERNON - Vernon firefighters are reminding the public there is still a fire ban, something a local man apparently didn’t know. About 10 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 20, the Vernon Fire Department was called out to the 7300-block of Old Stamp Mill Road for a burning complaint. “It was a homeowner there claiming he didn’t know...
Police investigating apartment fire that left two Vernon men with severe burns
VERNON - A pair of Vernon men were airlifted to Vancouver last week after suffering serious burns in an apartment fire. The two men, ages 20 and 21, were inside an apartment building in the 3400 block of Okanagan Avenue when a fire started in the bathroom. Deputy Vernon Fire Chief Jack Blair says they...
Vernon grass fire gets quick response from fire department
VERNON - Emergency crews rushed to the scene of a grass fire burning close to homes in Vernon Friday morning. The fire burned in a field on Melfort Road in Vernon’s BX area, prompting a full response from the BX-Swan Lake Fire Department today, Aug. 14. Local resident Cathy Huber says the fire was burning...
Driver in hospital after truck flips, lands on roof in Vernon
VERNON - A man is considered lucky to be alive after his truck crashed and rolled on a busy Vernon thoroughfare. Emergency crews responded to the single vehicle crash around 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the intersection of 58 Avenue and 27 Street. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says the overturned vehicle was found...
Grass fire near Vernon landfill no longer a threat
VERNON - Quick-acting fire crews managed to suppress a grass fire at the Vernon landfill well before it turned into something bigger. Vernon Fire Rescue was notified just before 5 p.m., yesterday, July 23, but had some initial difficulty pinpointing where it actually was. A number of people phoned 911 to report smoke, but with...
Grass fire burning near Vernon landfill
VERNON - Emergency crews are descending upon a new grass fire in Vernon. The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. today, July 23 on Birnie Road, near the landfill, and is an estimated two hectares in size. The Vernon Fire Department is at the scene and has requested back up from B.C. Wildfire. Fire...
Boat sinks itself doing stunts on Okanagan Lake
KELOWNA - A boat that sunk Sunday night in Okanagan Lake may have sunk itself by doing doughnuts. “That’s what it looks like. On a calm surface, you won’t have much issue but if you do doughnuts, you’re now churning up the water and creating an unstable situation for the boat,” RCMP spokesman Const. Steve...
Officials suspect Molotov cocktail used in Lumby fire
LUMBY - Police believe a Molotov cocktail is to blame for a small, yet potentially serious, fire in Lumby. Firefighters were called to a residential road in Lumby around 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, for a report of a grass fire. While the fire was small and did no real damage to the property, officials...
People ignoring campfire ban in Okanagan
‘THERE’S THE ODD FEW THAT DON’T THINK THE BAN APPLIES TO THEM’ VERNON - Fire officials in Vernon are surprised some people are still not getting the message about the importance of campfire bans. Twice Monday night, the Vernon Fire Department was called to illegal campfires in peoples’ backyards, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says....
HELSTON: One tiny, burning ember can do a lot of damage
All of us were reminded this week how destructive fire can be, in so many different ways. On Tuesday night, we saw how fire can take down a building in mere hours, leaving nothing but ash and rubble. It’s awe-inspiring in the most horrific way. But the physical damage is just the beginning. When Vernon’s...
Emergency crews responding to large fire downtown Vernon
VERNON - A large fire is burning near Vernon’s Village Green Mall. Reports say the fire broke out at the Vernon social assistance office on 48 Avenue, behind the Petro Canada gas station. A tower of smoke can be seen from across the city. Emergency crews are at the scene working to contain the blaze....
Suspicious dumpster fire outside Vernon high school under investigation
VERNON - A suspicious fire which started in a dumpster outside a Vernon high school is under investigation The fire department was called to Vernon Secondary School to put out the fire about 11:15 p.m., Friday, June 26. “It appeared to be suspicious in nature from what we’ve come across,” deputy fire chief Jack Blair...
Careless use of flare guns believed to have sparked Kal Park blaze
VERNON - A fire in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park Tuesday night is believed to have been caused by reckless behaviour. Coldstream fire chief Dave Sturgeon says crews responded to a small, one-metre by one-metre grass fire in the Rattlesnake Point area of Kal Park around 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23. By the time firefighters arrived,...
Ducklings saved by local business owner
KELOWNA – When Noel Wentworth saw an anxious-looking duck on the side of the road last week he knew something wasn’t right. Wentworth and his family were driving home on Glenmore Road around 8 p.m. May 16 when he saw a panicked mother duck on the opposite side of the road. “She was basically running...
Authorities investigate fire at Vernon bank
VERNON - Police and the fire department are investigating a suspicious blaze that scorched the outside of a downtown Vernon bank Monday night. Deputy Fire Chief Jack Blair says the fire started in a garbage container at the rear of CIBC on 30 Avenue around 9:30 p.m., May 4. “The fire caused extensive fire damage...