Charges laid in arson investigations

August 19, 2026 - Vernon, British Columbia
From: Vernon North Okanagan RCMP

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File #2026-13348  

A person has been arrested and charged in connection with two grass fires in Vernon’s Commonage earlier this month.  

On Tuesday August 4, 2026, at 1:23pm, frontline officers from the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP responded to a grass fire on Commonage Road near Bench Row Road.  A short time later, a second fire was discovered in Carlson Park on Bench Row Road. (Suspicious grass fires in Vernon)  Investigators believe the fires were human caused and intentionally set.  On Friday, August 14, 2026, a suspect was arrested and subsequently charged with several Criminal Code offences relating to both fires.

Mariah Banning Baer, 33, of West Kelowna, has been charged with:

• one count, arson in relation to inhabited property
•  two counts, arson in relation to property
• one count, possession of incendiary material
• one count, disguising face with intent to commit an indictable offence
• one count, breach of a probation order 

“We reached this point in our investigation through a tremendous amount of hard work by our investigators and the collective effort of everyone involved,” states Sergeant David Evans of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.   “Their effort, dedication, and excellent police work is what made this outcome possible.” 

The accused appeared in court and has been remanded in custody awaiting a bail hearing.  The investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be released at this time.

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