Police are investigating a suspicious trailer fire that started across from the Port Alberni Fire Department early Saturday morning.
The fire started just before 6 a.m. and was captured on the fire hall’s security camera. The fire began behind a residence on 10th Avenue. When fire crews arrived they discovered a travel trailer fully engulfed in flames with fire impinging on a detached garage right next to it, PAFD fire Chief Mike Owens said.
Port Alberni FD on the scene of a travel trailer that was fully involved with fire impinging on a detached garage on 10th Ave. Crews responded quickly and prevented further damage. #pafd #portalberni pic.twitter.com/Exv0TG0rF3
— Port Alberni Fire (@portalbernifire) August 17, 2019
“Nobody was in it; nobody was injured. It looked like (the fire) started on the inside of the trailer,” he said.
“It wasn’t hooked up to any utilities and didn’t have propane on board. There was no reason that it should have caught fire on its own.”
Tenants in the house with the detached garage told firefighters the trailer had only showed up a week ago. Coupled with an unwanted visitor who came to the house about three hours before the fire started, the fire was considered suspicious and the file and some preliminary evidence have been turned over to the Port Alberni RCMP, Owens said.
“Due to the very close proximity of the fire to the fire hall, the fire was captured by the fire department’s security camera along with the response of Engine 5,” Owens said.
“A lot of times living across from the fire station is a double-edged sword, living with all the sirens,” Owens said. “In this circumstance it allowed us to arrive quickly” and put out the fire so it didn’t spread.”
The fire trucks didn’t have to use their sirens for this particular call, he added.
If anyone has information on this event they are encouraged to call the Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online at avcrimestoppers.ca/submit-tip.
