One year after a fire shut down the Burnaby General Hospital emergency room, police have released footage of the man they believe sparked the blaze.
Late on Nov. 15, 2020, a three-alarm fire broke out in a basement level utility room of the hospital, spreading smoke around the building and prompting a handful of evacuations.
“We believe the public may be key in helping solve this crime, which caused millions of dollars in damage,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj in a news release.
Footage released Monday shows the suspected arsonist outside the hospital in the evening hours before the fire began and inside one of the hospital elevators.
Police said a still image of the man was released after the fire in 2020, but they didn’t know at the time what role he played in the fire, if any. Burnaby RCMP is now treating him as a suspect.
“Significant resources have been put into solving this crime over the past year, but now we need the public’s help to identify this suspect,” said Kalanj.
“We want to hear from anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, as even a small tip may be important to this investigation.”
RCMP said since the fire, more than 50 officers have reviewed more than 1,500 hours of video footage as part of the investigation.
According to Fraser Health, the fire contributed to the spread of COVID-19 in hospital, as it forced the movement of staff and patients.
That outbreak resulted in five deaths and 95 patient and staff infections, and the rescheduling of some medical appointments and surgeries.
Anyone with information on the fire or the suspect is asked to call the special phone tip line set up for the investigation at 604-646-9522, or email bghfire@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.