COURTENAY -- RCMP have made an arrest in connection to a vehicle fire early Wednesday morning just outside of Cumberland.
Firefighters were called to the report of a vehicle on fire on the logging bridge adjacent to the Puntledge River dam around 4:50 a.m.
"(It was a) pretty big concern to us because right underneath the bridge is the Courtenay water supply and also loggers depend on that bridge, so the fire could have created a lot of damage to the bridge," said Cumberland Fire Rescue Chief Mike Williamson.
The vehicle was just meters away from the bridge and firefighters created a small dam so none of their water coming off the vehicle would reach down into the river. The fire department also notified the Comox Valley Regional District's water department to make them aware of the situation.
Williamson says he understands police had been looking for the vehicle, believing it to be involved in some criminal activity.
"I believe it was a Toyota, pretty badly burned, it had been burning for a while," he said. "I think the loggers reported it when they were heading out for work in the morning."
RCMP say they are investigating whether or not the vehicle has been involved in criminal activity and if it is connected to any other vehicle fires in the area.
Cumberland firefighters had another recent vehicle fire in the Bevan Road area not far away from where Wednesday's vehicle was abandoned, and Courtenay fire crews also had to extinguish a pick-up that was abandoned along a remote logging road and set on fire.
