An early morning fire gutted a home and garage in Vernon Wednesday.

Vernon Fire Rescue crews were called out to the Highway 97 fire, across from Vernon Jubilee Hospital, and found two garages on fire.

The blaze spread from there into a home, where one individual resided.

鈥淭here was one occupant inside and he was alerted by neighbours so he got out,鈥� said Captain Reinhard Mann.

鈥淭he house is pretty much gutted.

鈥淭he two garages in the rear, there were reports of transients living in them, we鈥檙e not sure if that was the cause. But one is extensively damaged and it did extend into the other one with some structural damage and some content damage as well.鈥�

Older construction plus multiple additions created a challenging situation for crews as they tried to battle the stubborn blaze, which got into the attic.

鈥淚t was a little tough to get into.鈥�

Mann estimates the house to be approximately 70-80 years old.

鈥淚鈥檓 guessing it would be, judging by the area, probably 鈥�40s, one of the first homes in the area I鈥檓 sure.鈥�

More than 20 firefighters and three trucks were needed to battle the blaze, which also cut out power to the area briefly.

鈥淒ue to the amount of exposure and area to cover from the highway over into the alley we did have power lines down in the alley,鈥� said Mann.

Icy conditions were also created in the area as crews poured water on the blaze in freezing temperatures. Therefore nearby residents and motorists are urged to use caution.

jennifer@vernonmorningstar.com
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