1 person taken to hospital after suspicious fire at Vernon apartment building

One person had to be taken to hospital after a fire at a Vernon apartment building on Tuesday morning.

Vernon’s fire Chief David Lind could not say how serious the person’s injuries were, only that they were ambulatory before being taken to hospital.

The city said firefighters were dispatched to the fire at a low-rise apartment building in the 2900 block of 43 Avenue around 4:50 Tuesday morning.

Lind said the fire appears to have started on the balcony of a main floor suite and firefighters were able to get control of the flames before they spread to other units.

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Only the resident of the unit where the fire started was displaced by the blaze.

The blaze has been deemed suspicious and police have launched an investigation.

1:22 Kelowna Fire Department gives virtual tour

Lind expressed concern about how the evacuation of the building went.

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He said although some occupants evacuated the complex when the fire sparked, others didn’t proactively evacuate.

The building doesn’t have interconnected fire alarms that sound throughout the building if there is a fire in one area, Lind explained.

“The message we are just trying to get out is that if there is a fire in a building that you are in, it is best practice to get out as soon as possible,” Lind said.

“That way we can ensure that everyone is safe and get in and do the work and….not have that additional responsibility of evacuating folks.”