Kelowna RCMP and the city’s fire department are working together to investigate an increase in human-caused fires in the city.
RCMP said in a statement that since January, both police and fire crews have responded to a significant number of dumpster fires around local businesses and a number of fires along the Rail Trail.
A number of those fires were deemed suspicious.
“A preliminary examination of the scene suggests that the fires were human-caused and are currently under investigation,” Kelowna RCMP fire investigator Cpl. Jessica Coutney said.
“Our investigators continue to work very closely with the Kelowna Fire Department, as specially trained fire investigators perform full investigations of the fire scenes and collect physical evidence to determine the cause of the fires.”
Police are reminding business owners to follow the City of Kelowna’s bylaws regarding dumpsters, refuse and recycling containers so as to prevent accidental and non-accidental fires.
If you have seen suspicious activity regarding the dumpster fires and have not spoken to the police yet, you are asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. For anonymous tips, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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