EDMONTON- One person was taken into police custody after a suspicious vehicle fire in south Edmonton Saturday morning.
One witnesses says he was heading south along 111st around 9:30 when he saw smoke coming from the parking lot at Harry Ainlay High School. He pulled into the parking lot when he realized it was a van that was on fire.
“There was a young guy behind it hysterical, on the phone, and he was covered in black smoke,” said Jerry Bellikka.
Bellikka says the man told him and other witnesses there was a girl inside the vehicle.
“He was screaming, trying to get her out, and there was smoke everywhere, flames on top of the vehicle, the front end was on fire.”
The witnesses began helping the frantic man, prying open the locked doors of the van. However, they soon realized there wasn’t anyone inside the vehicle.
“We pulled open the doors and couldn’t see anybody on the passenger side and he screamed that she was on the other side. So two of us pulled the doors off the drivers side,” Bellikka explained, “we just wrenched them off the frame and couldn’t see anybody inside. And, of course, as soon as you open the doors all the air gets at it and the thing started to really go and about 20, 30 seconds later it exploded.”
Fire crews arrived on scene as this was happening and confirmed the vehicle was empty.
“There was no one in the vehicle, actually, at the time of the fire. When the witnesses approached the vehicle there was no one there,” said Captain Fire Investigator Daryl Brennan, with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.
Bellikka says the man was adamant there was a girl inside the van and that’s why they jumped to help out.
“It’s a risky thing to do, but I mean, who wouldn’t try and help? He’s screaming that somebody’s inside and you can’t see anybody. But you’ve got to try, right?”
The incident ended with the man being taken into police custody.
“EPS (Edmonton Police Service) have taken the male into custody and he’s suspected of setting the vehicle on fire,” Brennan confirmed.
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