Suspicious fires increasingly common in Nanaimo, RCMP and fire department warn
Nanaimo's fire department and RCMP detachment are banding together to deal with a problem that has escalated over the past three months, with more than 20 suspicious fires occurring in the community's downtown core.
"They are arsons, they have been deliberately set,” says Const. Gary O’Brien, spokesperson for Nanaimo RCMP. “Our bike squad is taking the lead on this and they've identified a few people.”
So far, no charges have been laid, but RCMP say it appears a few of the city's homeless population are responsible for some – but not all – of the fires.
"The trouble is escalating and we're moving into the warmer weather so there's an educational piece involved,” O’Brien says. “We're telling the owners that you have to look at your dumpsters and remove any flammable materials.”
O'Brien and Nanaimo Fire Chief Tim Doyle say the problem could also be felt by residential home owners.
"We'd like everyone to make sure they remove all the combustibles around the perimeter of their building,” Doyle says. “Make sure they don't leave any cardboard, pallets, cooking oil, styrofoam packing or other garbage that could be used to light fires."
The chief is also asking people to practice good landscaping by keeping their lawns short and any vegetation away from buildings so it doesn't catch businesses or residences on fire.
Doyle says he is concerned about the amount of resources the preventable fires are taking up.
"It is frustrating and it is a challenge,” Doyle says. “It stretches our resources thin and it has an impact on public safety and an impact on first responders."
One of those affected by the fires is Ajac's Equipment owner Tom Halsall.
He says his business was hit by arson twice in the early morning of June 4, beginning around 2 a.m.
"The firemen came the first time and put the dumpster fire out and found the guy and the police hauled him away and then the other fire happened a couple of hours later around 4:30," Halsall says.
In the second incident, some packing materials were set on fire and the blaze made its way inside a portion of the building that was used for storage.
"There was three customers’ tractors that were actually damaged in the fire,” he says. “It was mostly storage. We have accessories, baggers, carts, lawnmowers, different things like that.”
Halsall says even though he is insured, he will now have to wait several months before he can get permits through city hall to do work inside the building, including removing damaged items and checking for any asbestos in the older structure. He says he and others are frustrated by the escalating problem.
"When they catch them, there's nothing that's done,” Halsall says. “The government's hands are tied. They can't put them in jail, they can't treat them, they just send them out in the streets and they do more. It's just crazy."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Security guard shot, critically injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.