Suspects sought after 'world's largest burl' burns on Vancouver Island

A roadside attraction on northern Vancouver Island burned Wednesday night, in what the town's former mayor is calling an act of vandalism.

Firefighters in Port McNeill battled through the night and into Thursday morning to save what is known as the world's largest tree burl.

Firefighters in Port McNeill battled through the night and into Thursday morning to save what is known as the world's largest tree burl. (Port McNeill Fire Rescue)

Discovered in 2005, the burl was estimated to weigh 30 tonnes when it was cut from a 525-year-old Sitka spruce in Holberg, B.C., according to Guinness World Records.

Mounties are calling the fire suspicious, saying in a statement the blaze "appears to have been a deliberate act with the apparent intent to destroy the town's prized point of interest."

The Port McNeill RCMP released a surveillance image Thursday of two suspects carrying what police described as a yellow jerry can near the burl around 11:19 p.m., when the fire is believed to have started.

"We are releasing still images from the CCTV in hopes that someone will recognize and report the two suspects," Port McNeill RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Curtis Davis said.

Mounties are seeking two suspects in connection with the fire investigation. (RCMP)

Former mayor Gaby Wickstrom called the fire a heart-breaking act of vandalism in a social media post Thursday.

"I was the chamber president when we organized volunteers and brought the burl into Port McNeill," said Wickstrom, who lost her re-election bid last October.

"To some it might be a silly piece of wood, but others know this natural oddity draws visitors to our community. Such a shame."

Mounties in Port McNeill released surveillance images of two suspects wanted in connection with the fire on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (RCMP)

Anyone with any information about the fire is asked to contact the Port McNeill RCMP at 250-956-4441.