Somebody setting fire to her family’s three vehicles won’t change Kim DeJay’s affection for Vernon.
In fact, she and her family are overwhelmed by the post-blaze support they’ve received from their new community, which DeJay and her daughter moved to from Victoria only five months ago. She will be joined in Vernon later this month by her son.
DeJay lost her vehicle, RV and her son’s car in a suspicious fire in the 4300 block of Pleasant Valley Road just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, the second such suspicious fire on that road in 24 hours.
Another vehicle was destroyed Tuesday just after midnight in the 4000 block of PV Road.
RELATED: UPDATE: Vernon house fire contained, family not at home
“Despite all of this, we really want to say than you,” said an emotional DeJay Thursday. “I’m not sure anybody in Victoria would have tried to help.”
DeJay said a man named Shawn, who works at a nearby care home, spotted the fires and ran to her house, banging on the door. The family got out with no injuries and there was no damage whatsoever to the home.
“The winds blew the other way,” said DeJay. “It’s a miracle the house didn’t go up. And it could have been worse for Shawn.”
Since the fire, the DeJays have been offered support by neighbours.
DeJay bought another vehicle Wednesday. She and her family moved to Vernon to be near DeJay’s daughter Soleah’s longtime best friend, who got married and moved to the North Okanagan.
Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP responded to both incidents and have deemed both fires suspicious in nature.
Three vehicles, a Nissan Murano, Ford Fusion and a Buick Enclave, were all destroyed as a result of the fires, as was DeJay’s RV.
No one was injured and the files remain under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 250-545-7171 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leaving 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.
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