Three suspected cases of arson - two since Thursday - have kept regional fire fighters racing across the valley and out to Fruitvale to put out the flames.
The most recent involved a Fruitvale home deliberately set afire on Sunday.
The 9-1-1 call of a structure fire came in just before 6 a.m. and kept a crew of 10 firefighters mopping up the Elm Street property for a few hours, though the incident was reported “under control” by 7 a.m.
Later that day, Captain Jason Milne noted the cause to be under investigation by the Greater Trail RCMP.
Then on Monday, RCMP Cpl. Devon Reid confirmed the investigation was ongoing. However, Reid stated, “police have determined that this was likely a targeted act of arson” and that “the resident of the burnt dwelling and the suspect are known to each other.”
No one was injured but the residence was completely consumed by fire.
Reid urges anyone with information on this fire to call the Trail RCMP Detachment at 250.364.2566 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
The house fire is not related to two other arson investigations presently underway in Fruitvale, Reid told the Trail Times.
These two cases involve stolen vehicles being torched on rural roads.
The first suspicious vehicle fire occurred on Columbia Gardens Road at around 1 a.m. on July 9.
“No one was injured in the blaze, but the vehicle was completely consumed by the fire,” Reid said. “Police were able to locate the registered owner of the vehicle and determine that the keys were still with the owner, and that the vehicle may have been stolen.”
Ten days later came another late night/early morning call of a vehicle fire.
Captain Jason Milne was on duty, and reported the July 19 incident as one requiring quick action to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby trees and grass.
This fire, on the 1100 block of McLeod Road, had seven firefighters from Fruitvale and three from Trail on scene until shortly after midnight.
Cpl. Reid confirmed no one was injured, but the vehicle was completely consumed by fire.
The registered owner of the vehicle was located with a set of keys, leaving the police to state, “the vehicle may have been stolen.”
“Both of these fires are suspicious in nature and the investigation is still ongoing,” Reid said. “Police feel that these were both likely targeted acts of arson related to the theft of the vehicles.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Trail RCMP at 250.364.2566 or call Crime Stoppers
at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).