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
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.