A fire that roared through an East Vernon home is considered suspicious.
Members of the BX-Swan Lake Fire Department converged on a residence on 25th Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. Monday.
“The cause of the fire is not known at this time, and the matter is still under investigation,” said Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, with the RCMP.
BX-Swan Lake firefighters were faced with a fully involved blaze when they arrived.
“The fire had broken through a window on the second floor and into the attic and roof. It was self-venting,” said Stephen Hidasi, BX-Swan Lake deputy fire chief.
“The knock-down was quick but the final extinguishment was challenging. The insulation was sawdust and pony walls cut off access to the fire.”
The crews wrapped up their duties at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and then returned again for a few hours to ensure the site was secure.
It’s believed the blaze began in the kitchen.
“The main floor is relatively undamaged but the second floor attic is fully damaged,” said Hidasi.
A passing jogger first noticed the flames and called 911.
“No one is believed to have been in the residence at the time of the incident, and the home is believed to have been vacant,” said Noseworthy.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
