Emergency crews in Vernon discovered a deceased person Wednesday morning after responding to a report of a warming fire at the long-shuttered Tiki Village Motel on 34th Street.
Initial response and investigation
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP say Vernon Fire Rescue Services attended the scene at approximately 8:30 a.m. and located an unresponsive person who was later declared deceased. Const. Chris Terleski told media that criminality is not suspected and that the BC Coroners Service is conducting an independent, concurrent fact-finding investigation “to determine how, where, when and by what means the person came to their unexpected death.”
“Criminality is not suspected and the BC Coroners Service is conducting an independent and concurrent fact-finding investigation,” said Const. Chris Terleski.
Site conditions and community concerns
Although the motel officially closed in November 2025, residents and witnesses report ongoing use of the property. One witness told Castanet that five to six police vehicles were at the motel on Wednesday and said several people who appeared to be experiencing homelessness were speaking with officers. Photographs from the scene show clothing hung on fencing in front of the building, indicating people have been staying there.
The death follows a string of safety concerns around the property. On Dec. 3, 2025, WorkSafeBC issued a stop work order to the entire motel after a structural assessment by a professional engineer concluded the building was not safe to occupy. The order covered all buildings on the site.
Recent fires at the property
Fire activity at the motel has been reported multiple times since it closed. On Feb. 14, 2026, Vernon Fire Rescue Services responded after reports of smoke and found a fire burning in the building’s breezeway; firefighters extinguished that blaze quickly. Wednesday’s call was described as a warming fire — a smaller, smouldering fire that still prompted an emergency response and the discovery of the deceased person.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Nov. 2025 | Hotel closed |
| Dec. 3, 2025 | WorkSafeBC stop work order issued (building not safe to occupy) |
| Feb. 14, 2026 | Fire in breezeway extinguished by Vernon Fire Rescue Services |
| Oct. 14, 2026 | Warming fire reported; unresponsive person found and later declared deceased |
Questions for city and emergency services
The incident spotlights the challenges Vernon faces in managing vacant and unsafe properties that nonetheless attract people seeking shelter. While the coroner conducts its investigation into the death, residents and community groups are likely to ask how the city, property owners and provincial agencies will address hazards and access on sites deemed unsafe.
- Safety and enforcement: The stop work order cited structural unsafety; how will compliance and enforcement be maintained to protect the public?
- Shelter and supports: With evidence of people squatting at the motel, what supports are available for those seeking shelter in Vernon?
- Fire prevention: Repeated small fires point to the need for strategies to reduce risk at vacant properties.
RCMP have not identified the deceased and have not named any suspects. Media inquiries to Vernon RCMP were ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon. The BC Coroners Service will lead the fact-finding probe into the circumstances surrounding the death.
This incident adds to a record of safety actions and emergency calls at the Tiki Village Motel since it closed late last year, underscoring broader tensions between vacant property management and homelessness in Vernon. Local residents and stakeholders will be watching how municipal and provincial authorities respond in the coming days.
