A fire that ignited on the balcony of a Vernon apartment building has been deemed accidental, the city confirmed Friday.
Vernon Fire Rescue Services was dispatched to the structure fire in the 1600 block of Deleenheer Road just after 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 1.
The City of Vernon said most of the damage was contained to the exterior of the building but would not provide any further information.
According to police at the scene, the fire was reportedly caused by a barbecue on the deck of a unit on the third floor of the building, however, the city would not confirm the cause.
Tenants of the building were evacuated and Emergency Support Services was activated to assist displaced residents.
“The building is sprinkler protected, which helped hold the fire in check and prevented it from spreading from the balcony to the rest of the building,” said fire chief David Lind, adding crews remained on scene for some time checking for fire extension.
The RCMP and BC Ambulance paramedics joined Vernon Fire Rescue Services at the scene.
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