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
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
B.C. court date set for 3 accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.