North Okanagan RCMP is asking for the public’s help to track down an alleged arsonist responsible for deliberately setting two grass fires in Armstrong, B.C., early Saturday morning.
Police say a pedestrian discovered the two small brush fires burning in the ditch near the intersection of Otter Lake Road and Fraser Road in the North Okanagan community.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., after calling 911, the witness successfully snuffed out the majority of the flames, preventing the spread of the fire prior to the arrival of police and fire crews.
A second small fire discovered in the vicinity was also contained and put out, RCMP said.
An investigation of the scene determined the circumstances of the fire to be suspicious and police are now turning to the public for their assistance in furthering the investigation.
It’s distressing that someone would be jeopardizing the safety of our community by intentionally setting these fires,
said Corporal Dave Blake.
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We are asking anyone who has any information about these fires that may assist the investigation to please contact police.
Specifically, police are asking anyone who was in the area of Otter Lake Road and Fraser Road on the morning of Saturday, July 31, between 5 a.m., and 5:30 a.m., who witnessed anything suspicious, or was driving in the area and has dashcam video, to contact the North Okanagan RCMP at (250) 546 3028.
Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or by leaving a tip online at http://www.nokscrimestoppers.com.
RCMP in a small village in the West Kootenay region are also investigating the cause of some recently sparked wildfires.
Police said on July 24, officers responded with the Salmo Fire Department to as many as four brush fires located northwest of Highway 3 and Highway 6 intersection.
Police believe that all four fires were human-caused and have reason to believe that they may have been deliberately set.
Since those incidents, crews have responded to another three fires in the Salmo area.
The most recent blazes included a small fire discovered at approximately 5 a.m. on July 26 at the end of Lagoon Road, a fire at about 4:30 p.m. up the Bombi pass, and the last at 5 p.m. near the intersection of highways 3 and 6.
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