Tragedy was prevented early Saturday morning.
A family was able to escape a burning home at about 5:22 a.m. in the 3000 block of 38th Street after an occupant woke up and heard a noise.
“He opened a door and the area was full of flames,” said Lawrie Skolrood, Vernon deputy fire chief.
The man notified the rest of the family, including young children, and they ran outside.
“It could have been far worse with people sleeping,” said Skolrood of the potential of the blaze.
“Everyone got out safely.”
Crews from the Vernon Fire Department were soon on scene after receiving the initial emergency call.
“The firefighters got it fairly early and they were able to knock it down before the fire progressed further,” said Skolrood, adding that crews experienced no major challenges while tackling the blaze.
However, there was significant structural damage sustained to the upper floor of the building while the roof was also compromised.
An insurance adjustor was on scene late Saturday morning and firefighters were also eventually back on scene.
“We will be determining the cause this afternoon (Saturday),” said Skolrood.
The results of the investigation were not known by press time.
