Fire significantly damaged a home in Lumby Tuesday.
Twice.
Just before 11 p.m., Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP were called to the 170 block of Brookfield Road to assist in the investigation of a suspicious residential structure fire.
A witness who was reportedly first on the scene said it was a frightening night.
“All of a sudden we just heard screaming, ‘somebody help me, help me, help me,'” said the Lumby resident, who rushed to the home and called the fire department and ambulance.
“There was smoke barrelling out of the front of the house the back end of the house was in flames.
“She (homeowner) was laying with a head injury ontop of all her stuff (purse, etc.),” the witness reports, adding that she helped move her away from the burning home. “She was laying on the ground outside the house, maybe 30 feet away. Enough that I couldn’t breath.”
That fire was extinguished quickly by the Lumby Fire Department, however not before the home suffered extensive smoke damage. The sole occupant of the home, a woman, was able to escape the home, but did sustain a minor physical injury. She was transported to the nearest medical facility for treatment and released.
Then, at 3 a.m., police and fire were called back to the residence where fire had fully engulfed the home. The blaze was extinguished but not before causing significant damage to the home.
“At this time, the RCMP are deeming both fires to be suspicious and both remain under investigation,” said RCMP spokesperson Const. Kelly Brett.
The home was not occupied at the time of the second fire.
RCMP are seeking any information in regards to the two fires and if you have not already spoken to police, you are asked to contact the Lumby RCMP at 250-547-2151.
You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leave a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. If you provide information that leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Tuesday was a busy day for the village fire department as they earlier dealt with a snowmobile fire.
RELATED: Fuel leak causes snowmobile fire in Lumby
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