Internal documents from Vernon Fire Rescue Services, obtained by Global News, reveal more details of the fire department’s response to a March blaze on Commonage Road that left three people dead.
While going into greater detail, the paperwork also generally backs up what officials have said publically about the circumstances of the fire.
The incident report, obtained by Global News through a freedom of information request, includes notes from the fire chief as well as dispatch notes.
The records show the fire department was first dispatched at 11:46:01 p.m. on March 6, and two fire engines were en route within two and a half minutes. The first apparatus arrived “on scene” just after midnight, just over 15 minutes after it was dispatched.
In his notes, the fire chief said when he arrived at the scene, within ten minutes of the first apparatus, the structure was fully involved with the roof, floors and a wall collapsed into the structure.
“There was no possibility an occupant could survive inside of the structure at this point,” wrote fire chief David Lind in notes created a week after the blaze.
Lind said he was informed by the incident commander of downed hydro wires and advised the fire department was “in defensive mode.”
The fire chief said “crews were applying water from a safe location” and paramedics had staged close by.
Lind said it was the police that relayed information that residents might be inside and that he and another fire department member searched around the structure in case the residents had escaped, but they did not find anyone.
The fire chief’s notes and dispatch logs also confirmed when crews were originally sent out there was no specific address.
The blaze was originally described as being “near Predator Ridge,” and over the next 90 seconds, a couple of incorrect addresses were logged into the dispatch notes before the address was changed to Commonage Road or Predator Ridge Drive in general.
The fire ended up being outside of the Predator Ridge neighbourhood in the 300 block of Commonage Road.
There were also questions about whether the fire was in Vernon’s jurisdiction. The fire chief’s notes said it was determined after Vernon crews had started work on the fire that it was outside of Vernon’s jurisdiction in a rural area just outside of city limits that has no fire protection.
Despite being out of its service area, the Vernon fire department has said publically it stayed and fought the fire.
The dispatcher notes show the fire was reported to be “almost knocked down” by 00:24:30 a.m., less than a half hour after the first fire engine arrived.
Notes about the next morning, by fire prevention officer Dan Walker, said the house, which was built into a steep slope, “had collapsed into the basement.”
The “homeowner of the property” told officials the house was “occupied by three residents and two were relatives,” Walker’s notes said.
Walker said at least one vehicle belonging to the missing occupants was parked in the driveway and police “confirmed their phones were pinged and the last known location was near the home before the fire occurred.”
On March 8 an excavator was brought in.
By the time police went public with news of the fatalities, on March 10, they were able to confirm “what were believed to be human remains were found inside the home.”
More questions remain about the fatal fire, including what started it. The RCMP has been investigating the cause but has not yet determined what sparked the blaze.
The RCMP has said in the past the fire is not believed to have been the result of criminal activity.
Vernon Fire Rescue Services Documents:
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