RCMP investigating suspicious fire at Nanaimo rec centre

Victoria -

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.