Update: Vernon home ‘total loss’ after fire

Update: 5:45 p.m.

A house in Vernon’s East Hill area is a smoldering ruin after a fire Thursday afternoon.

A woman and her two children were believed to be inside the home in the 1200 block of 35th Avenue across from Silver Star Elementary, when the blaze began just after 4 p.m.

The occupants were able to get out safely and went to a neighbor’s house to ask for help.

There was also two tenants downstairs who were not home at the time.

Deputy fire chief Scott Hemstad says the home was fully involved when crews arrived.

“We found a house with flames coming from the roof space that was impinging on the next door’s neighbor’s house. There was a potential for spreading the fire from the main house to the second house,” Hemstad told Vernon Matters and other media.

Fire fighters were able to prevent it from spreading, with limited damage to the second house.

“There is damage to an air conditioning unit, some of the soffits and siding, but it’s minimal damage to the second house,” stated Hemstad.

The deputy chief says the cause and point of origin are under investigation, and could not say if it was suspicious or not.

He said the fire left the home a “total loss.”

Emergency Society Services will provide assistance to the displaced occupants.

Footage of the house fire across the street from Silver star Elementary in #vernonbc pic.twitter.com/l04R0erWBV

— Tiffany Goodwein (@CityNewsTiffany) September 26, 2019

Update 5 p.m.

Fire crews in Vernon have been battling a house fire in East Hill, and have now knocked down the flames.

It’s in the 1200 block of 35th Avenue, across the street from Silver Star Elementary School.

One house was gutted, and an adjacent home had some outside fire damage.

No word yet on the cause, but it’s believed no one was injured.

Neighbors say a woman and two children lived there.

Fire Rescue is asking the public stay away from the area.

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Vernon Fire Rescue Services is on the scene of two structure fires on 35^th Avenue.

Two adjacent houses in the 1200 block of 35^th Avenue are involved in the fire, located across the street from Silver Star Elementary School.

There is no word yet on the cause or any injuries.

Fire Rescue asks that the public stay away from the area as crews work to suppress the fire.

More information will be released as it becomes available.