Fire completely destroyed a barn on Vella Road in Tappen Tuesday morning.
About 8 a.m. April 19, the Tappen/Sunnybrae Fire Department responded to a blaze in the 1400 block of Vella Road.
“Fire was in the ceiling area and heavy flames were showing from the front of the barn upon arrival of fire crews,” said Sean Coubrough, Fire Services Coordinator with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.
Providing mutual aid were the Shuswap and White Lake fire departments.
Coubrough said it was a tricky fire to fight as the structure was close to mature cedar trees so the potential for spreading was a concern.
“But our crews were able to contain it.”
The main part of the barn was being used for storage while the son of the owner was living upstairs. He was at work at the time of the fire, Coubrough said, and no one was injured in the blaze.
However, material possessions were lost. Coubrough said firefighters were able to save some tools and machinery.
Firefighters were still on scene in the early afternoon Tuesday to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.
The structure had come down but, with a tin roof, it was necessary to make sure no hot spots were left underneath.
A cause of the fire hasn’t been determined as it’s still under investigation.
Read more: Shuswap home burns to ground, mom and three children lose all belongings, family cat
Read more: Tenants lose everything in April 1 Salmon Arm fire deemed accidental


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