Five suspicious fires have been set since early Friday morning and many Mayerthorpe citizens have had enough. They’ve started a patrol group that will “be the eyes and ears” for the RCMP, since officers can’t be everywhere all the time.
The group’s founder, LaDonna Harris, said there’s a need now due to the recent rash of fires in the community.
“It was just the call in the community,” she said, “reading on Facebook, the fear and the demand of people…We need to do something, who is doing something?”
She said so far approximately 12 people have indicated they’d be interested in helping the patrol.
READ MORE: RCMP investigate new string of suspicious fires in Mayerthorpe
“We work closely with the RCMP and we have groups of two or more patrol areas that are decided by the COP (Citizens on Patrol) Program, ourselves, working in conjunction with the RCMP,” Harris explained.
Harris said residents feel the need to be actively involved in the investigations.
“I think the program is so important so citizens feel like they’re part of the solution and not part of the problem.
“The RCMP are doing everything they can and it’s not enough right now so we need the support of the citizens.”
Mayor Kate Patrick said the town has never seen anything like this, with so many fires in such a short period of time.
“It’s of prime importance they’re caught right away soon,” she said. “This is unheard of and all the destruction and devastation they’re causing, it’s of great concern.”
Members of the citizen patrol group will go out in pairs and patrol particular routes.
“We’re angry about the rash of fires,” Barry Fulford, who’s lived in Mayerthorpe for 37 years. “Our community is being put at risk here, history being burnt up that we can’t replace. It’s sad. It’s scary.”
Fulford said there’s been more vandalism, minor thefts and break and enters in town, and residents are getting fed up.
“It’s up to us guys to help out a little bit and be their eyes and ears to help out and defer this type of activity.
“Let the culprits realize they are being watched, not necessarily by people in uniform, but people in general,” Fulford said. “They are being watched. They don’t know who’s watching them and that might be a deterrent.”
RCMP are looking into all five fires in the days after a massive fire Tuesday brought down a trestle bridge on the northwest edge of Mayerthorpe. According to Mayerthorpe Fire Chief Randy Schroeder, one was a fire in an industrial area while the other four were grass fires.
On Tuesday, the local fire department said crews had been called for 17 fires in the area over a period of just six days. Also on Tuesday, Mayerthorpe RCMP confirmed officers were called in to investigate five fires over the past 10 days.
“We have a great fire department,” said Fulford. “We have a great RCMP detachment, but they can’t begin to see everything that’s going on. There’s got to be other people looking out, reporting, watching.”
Fire investigators and CN Rail authorities are still working to determine the cause of an enormous fire at a local trestle bridge which started at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday.
RCMP said Saturday there hadn’t been any new fires in Mayerthorpe since Friday night. Cpl. Grant Kneller said they don’t know if the fires are connected, but have received numerous tips from the public.
However, they’ve asked for additional officers to assist in the investigations, including about 10 from Edmonton and Whitecourt.
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