The cause is still being determined for a fire that gutted a downtown Vernon residence.
Firefighters were called to the 2800 block of 35th Street Saturday at about 10:30 a.m.
“There was heavy smoke and flames coming out of three or four windows,” said Jack Blair, Vernon deputy fire chief.
“The crew covered off the exposures to prevent damage to the houses next door and then they knocked the fire down.”
There were initial reports that someone may be inside the structure, but that proved to be false.
“Witnesses saw four people leave the back of the house when the fire started but it doesn’t seem suspicious. It wasn’t a set fire,” said Blair.
It’s been determined the blaze began in a bedroom.
“The cause is unknown and still under investigation,” said Blair.
Officials have not had any contact with the property owner and it’s not known if the residence was insured.
“There’s a lot of damage to the interior and the contents,” said Blair.
