Nanaimo RCMP and Nanaimo Fire Rescue are investigating two suspicious fires that burned motorhomes last week.
The first blaze was spotted about near the Duke Point Highway and Island Highway intersection, south of Nanaimo, on Friday afternoon, and the motorhome was fully engulfed in flame when firefighters arrived.
Someone had driven the vehicle about 100 metres off the highway into a wooded area.
“I don’t know if it’s been parked there for a while … it was at the end of the old Fielding Road cut through the Duke Point overpass,” said Alan Millbank, Nanaimo Fire Rescue fire prevention officer.
According to police, the vehicle was registered to an owner with a Vernon address and had been reported stolen in Edmonton on June 20.
The vehicle was completely destroyed by the fire, which appeared to have started in the kitchen area.
No one was in the vehicle and no witnesses have come forward with information about how the fire started.
The second motorhome fire happened shortly before midnight Friday at 6315 Metral Dr.
There was no electrical power to the vehicle, which led investigators to believe the fire was set intentionally.
Police said the owners of the vehicle reported that there had been instances in recent months with people breaking into and squatting in the RV.
The vehicle was also empty at the time of the fire and there are no known witnesses to the fire. No injuries were reported from either incident.
“Both are active investigations at this time,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. “There were no witnesses or suspects identified in either incident. We are hoping someone will come forward and allow the investigations to move forward.”
Anyone with information about either of these fires is asked call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com.
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