A fire that gutted a room at a Duncan motel is being investigated as arson, leaving neighbours in the area concerned for their safety.
RCMP were called to the Duncan Motel at 2552 Alexander St. around 7 p.m. Wednesday by the North Cowichan Volunteer Fire Department.
The fire was contained to a single room and extinguished quickly, but not before it did major damage.
Mounties later confirmed the blaze was suspicious and an arson investigation is now underway.
“It freaked me out. I was so shaky, seen all that fire there and something exploded in there,” said neighbour Margaret Jack.
No one was in the unit at the time and no one suffered any injuries, according to RCMP.
But witnesses said shortly after the blaze was extinguished, they saw police arrest someone.
RCMP didn’t confirm whether the arrest was in relation to the arson.
“Some people that live on the other side of the street, I guess they had seen that guy throw something or whatever in there, and it caught on fire,” said Jack.
Others who rent from the motel said they’ve been left feeling unsafe and uneasy about what could happen next.
“It’s kind of scary, and you know, I’m a single mother and I’ve been trying hard to find a place,” said Larrisa Peters.
For now, security is set up on site as investigators begin the work of determining who sparked the fire and why.
Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP at 250-748-5522 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Jessica Lepp
