The origin of a fire that gutted an illegally-parked trailer on Casino Road remains an unknown.
Three firefighters from Station 374 Trail responded to the scene shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday.
The trailer has been hitched to a truck and parked on Crown Land for months. It was completely engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived.
Captain Glen Gallamore confirmed that no one was in the trailer at the time of fire.
The makeshift camp was not hooked up to amenities like water or sewer. Regarding jurisdiction and subsequent clean-up, the trailer is one of a few squatting sites the Trail Times wrote about last fall.
Area B Director Linda Worley said she had tried getting answers about clearing the land for years.
“The bottom line is that this is on Department of Highways ‘ROW’or ‘Right of Way, ‘” Worley told the Times.
“My hands are tied as I have tried everything,” she said. “But it is not in my jurisdiction to go any further, as I have overstepped for quite some time.”
In October, the MOTI (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure) stated, “ministry staff have been made aware of the site on the ministry-owned side road near Trail.”
The MOTI said while there were no immediate safety issues associated with the current situation from a highways operation perspective, local staff would be visiting the site.
“To notify the occupant that this use is unauthorized and work with them to find a more suitable location for them to camp,” the ministry stated.
“Local staff will also be working with RCMP and the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary as they work to find a solution.”
newsroom@trailtimes.ca
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