Firefighters in Vernon were called to a house fire in downtown Vernon early Wednesday morning.
The two-storey home on the corner of Highway 97 and 39th Avenue was already heavily involved in flames when fire crews arrived, the fire chief said.
“Because of the condition of the structure, they were only able to get a short way into the structure before they had to pull back,” said fire chief David Lind. “So we haven’t done a complete search of the structure.”
It’s believed the fire started around 7:30 a.m.
Lind said there were no injuries to report as of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, but due to not being able to fully search the house, the fire department wasn’t 100 per cent certain whether or not it was occupied.
Firefighters were still on scene just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, extinguishing any hot spots.
Lind said firefighters will also be investigating what caused the blaze.
The city said the highway was reduced to single-lane traffic from 39th Ave. to 41st Ave., as firefighters fought the blaze.
The municipality was urging motorists to avoid the area and to find an alternative to the city’s main north-south thoroughfare.