Suspected fire-starter arrested in Enderby, B.C. with help from passersby

A Kelowna woman suspected of lighting two fires along Highway 97A north of Enderby, B.C., was arrested on the weekend and is awaiting a court appearance.

The woman was allegedly seen lighting brush fires along Highway 97A near Danforth Road Saturday, shortly after 7 p.m.

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RCMP said in a press release that witnesses at the scene attempted to extinguish the fires while at the same time, keeping track of the suspect until the police arrived.

Officers arrested the suspect without incident.

“Thanks to the quick action of these members of the public, our officers were able to quickly locate and arrest the suspect,” RCMP Const. Chris Terleski said in a press release.

“Also, there’s no doubt their efforts helped contain the fire and prevent its spread until fire crews could respond and extinguish them, preventing any significant property damage.”

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The suspect, a 44-year-old Kelowna woman, remains in custody until her next scheduled court appearance on June 1st in Salmon Arm.

While a cooler, damper start to spring this year has eased early wildfire worries in British Columbia, officials are monitoring several regions closely.

The B.C. Wildfire Service released its latest seasonal outlook earlier this month, which found below normal temperatures, above normal rainfall and snowpack retention have contributed to reduced early-season risk.

Most fires that have been caused to date have been human-caused.

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