Smoke billows out of the Vernon parkade after a car fire spread to other vehicles on Nov. 25. (Vernon Matters photo)

By Pete McIntyre

Fire update

Ignition point of parkade fire determined

Nov 29, 2022 | 6:00 AM

Investigators have confirmed where a major fire in Vernon’s downtown parkade started, but they still don’t know how.

Three vehicles were destroyed and several others nearby were damaged in the blaze Friday afternoon (Nov. 25) on the third level of the cement structure on 31st Avenue.

“Due to the extent of the fire damage to the vehicle where the fire started, the exact cause of the fire is undetermined,” Christy Poirier, manager of communications, told Vernon Matters. “However, it has been determined that the fire started in the dash area of the car.”

Poirier said the damage to the surrounding vehicles ranged in severity, and included smoke and soot damage.

“We do not have a total number of vehicles impacted,” Poirier stated.

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Meantime, fire investigators have wrapped up their probe into a blaze that wiped-out a mobile home and two recreational vehicles on Willow Park Road in the city’s Okanagan Landing Nov. 19.

“The cause of the fire is undetermined, but not suspicious. The fire originated in a recreational vehicle and then spread to the home,” Poirier said.

Vernon Fire Rescue has been extremely busy the last two weeks, dealing with those two fires plus another major one at Canadian Tire on Nov. 19.

Vernon Matters reached out to Vernon RCMP for an update on the Canadian Tire investigation with that fire considered suspicious.

“Regarding the fire, the investigation is ongoing and we do not have any additional information for release at this time,” Constable Chris Terleski, media relations officer, said.