Overnight apartment building fire in Revelstoke deemed suspicious by RCMP

An investigation is underway into an overnight fire at an apartment building in B.C.’s Southern Interior.

Revelstoke RCMP say they and fire officials are looking into what is considered a suspicious fire, which triggered an evacuation around 12:30 a.m., on Wednesday.

The building, the River’s Edge Apartments, is located along the 1200 block of Front Street.

Police say they received a request for help from Revelstoke Fire Services at 12:41 a.m., following reports of a structure fire.

Revelstoke RCMP say the fire was sparked and contained “inside a vacant and insecure unit.” There were no reports of injuries.

“Preliminary findings at the fire scene suggest that the blaze is suspicious in nature and may have been deliberately set,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.

“Quick-thinking and acting residents not only alerted other building tenants to the situation, but ensured proper evacuations and utilized fire extinguishers to prevent the fire from spreading.”

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In a Facebook post, Revelstoke Fire Services said fire damage was minimal as the apartment was vacant and empty at the time.

The fire department said it was on the scene in approximately four minutes with 21 personnel and four vehicles, with two RCMP members attending to assist in the investigation.

O’Donaghy said police have secured the area and forensic specialists have been called in.

“A full examination of the scene will be conducted with the goal of determining the exact cause of the fire and gather physical evidence to support the ongoing police investigation,” said O’Donaghey.

Anyone who has information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Revelstoke RCMP at 250-837-5255 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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The fire is the second in Revelstoke in less than a week.

On Saturday, a house fire along the 1600 block of Douglas Street claimed the life of a local woman.

“Fire officials located a deceased woman inside the home during a search of the structure,” O’Donaghey said on Monday, Oct. 26.

“Although the investigation is ongoing, police do not believe that criminality was involved in this tragic blaze.”