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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
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.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
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.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.