RCMP investigating suspicious fire at Nanaimo rec centre
Another suspicious fire is under investigation in Nanaimo, where more than 20 have been reported over the past three months.
The most recent fire was reported around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Beban Park Recreation Centre.
Police say the fire was started against the Centennial Building of the rec centre, and reached a height of roughly eight feet before it was extinguished.
RCMP and fire investigators believe the fire was started after cardboard was piled next to the building then set ablaze.
"There were no fuel sources nearby that may have contributed to fire, and given the location of the cardboard, this fire is believed to have been deliberately set," said Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP in a release Wednesday.
Mounties say it's fortunate that the fire was extinguished before it could spread to the interior of the wooden building, though "significant scarring" is visible on the exterior of the structure.
Tuesday's fire is the latest in a string of suspicious fires that have been lit in Nanaimo. Over the past three months, more than 20 suspicious fires have been doused.
"The trouble is escalating and we're moving into the warmer weather so there's an educational piece involved," O’Brien told CTV News on June 16. "We're telling the (property) owners that you have to look at your dumpsters and remove any flammable materials."
Police say there are currently no witnesses or suspects to the most recent fire. Anyone with information is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file # 2021-22754.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.