Vernon Matters file photo

By Pete McIntyre

call 911 if you see fire or smoke

Crews douse two human-caused fires in Vernon

Jul 24, 2022 | 2:45 PM

The fire danger is on the rise and evidence of that has come this weekend in Vernon

Vernon firefighters responded to two fires just a few hours apart, both which were found to be human- caused.

The first one broke out around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday (July 23), at the base of Turtle Mountain, along Alexis Park Drive. Firefighters were dispatched to a report of a wildland fire, and upon arrival, confirmed the fire was approximately 30’ x 30’.

“The fire was extinguished quickly. No structures were at risk and no injuries were reported,” a city news release stated.

The second fire happened today at around 11:40 a.m., in the 3100-block of 48th Avenue.

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Firefighters were dispatched to a grassy area in a business district, along the railway tracks. Upon arrival, the fire was approximately 50’ x 50, and crews were able to douse it using equipment from the department’s wildland truck and two engines.

“Both of the fires have been determined to be human caused, but neither appears to be criminal in nature. We can confirm there was no train in the area when the fire happened near the rail line,” said Deputy Fire Chief Alan Hofsink. “Thanks to the diligent and precise actions of our well-trained crews, these fires were attacked and extinguished quickly, preventing them from spreading and potentially causing much greater damage.”

Due to the recent heat waves, ground materials and shrubbery are drying out and the fire danger rating in Vernon is currently listed as high.

“Looking at the weather forecast for this week, we know we’ll be experiencing even higher temperatures [up to 37 Thursday] and sustained heat throughout the region,” said Hofsink.

“Therefore, it’s critical that everyone is aware of their surroundings, careful about the activities they’re doing outside, and that they report fire or smoke to 911 immediately, if they see it. We need to work together to keep our community safe from fire hazards all year long, but we must be even more cautious during these hot Okanagan summers.”

There was also a fire in the area of Otter Lake Cross Road in Armstrong Saturday afternoon, which reports on social media said may have been a tractor on fire.

Vernon Matters has reached out to the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department for details.

Fire in area of Otter Lake Cross Road. (Photo credit: Warren Risso/Facebook)