VERNON – Two young men are in critical condition at Vancouver General Hospital after a fiery explosion inside a Vernon apartment complex on Friday afternoon.
Around 4:00 p.m. Vernon fire fighters were called to an explosion in the bathroom of an apartment suite in the 3400 block of Okanagan Avenue. Once on scene, fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the small fire, which was mainly contained to the bathroom.
Jessica Thiessen says she lived in the suite where the explosion happened with her two young daughters. She says they walking back to their suite when the explosion happened.
“I heard the bang and I opened the door and all I saw was my boyfriend standing there melted screaming at me to get the kids and to get out. My kids were just reaching the top of the stairs,” she says.
Thiessen says she picked up her toddlers and ran.
“Everyone came flooding out asking what happened and I didn’t know.”
Thiessen’s boyfriend James and his friend were badly burned. The two men, both in their early twenties, were rushed to hospital and then transferred to the burn unit at Vancouver General Hospital.
James’ aunt, Lorri Chamberlain, says he’s currently in a coma and on life support.
Police are investigating and are not commenting on a possible cause for the explosion.
“We have some preliminary information on how this fire started. We are not prepared to release it at this time,” says RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk. “We are still in the early aspects of our investigation.”
RCMP say they have yet to speak to either of the men who were injured.
“We are hoping to speak with at least one of the individuals. The other one I’m told is in very serious condition at this point.” says Molendyk.
Thiessen also has a theory about how explosion started, but isn’t willing to share it. However, she did reveal that earlier that day the two men had been discussing marijuana edibles.
“They were talking about…how in the compassion club they’ve got edibles and who knows what else and how easy it is to make those things,” she said.
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