Emergency crews quickly responded to a grass fire on Canada Day in the area of Bella Vista and Okanagan Hills Boulevard in Vernon. On July 1st, 2025 at approximately 11pm, frontline officers with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP assisted Vernon Fire Rescue at the scene of a grass fire which was quickly contained by firefighters before any structures were at risk.
Evidence gathered at the scene led police to believe illegal fireworks were the cause
 said Corporal Tania Finn, Media Relations Officer with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. The evidence was seized for testing by our Forensic Identification Section.
Police interviewed many witnesses on scene and believe the fire was started between 10:40pm and 10:50pm as witnesses report seeing two persons on a dirt bike wearing full face helmets in the area.
If you have any information regarding this incident or dashcam footage of Bella Vista Road during this time frame, please contact Constable Bengtsson at the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP non-emergency line of 250-545-7171. You may remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leaving a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. If you provide information that leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
