Nanaimo Fire Rescue crews on scene at a fire at the Dollarama store on Bruce Avenue in Nanaimo. (Greg Sakaki/News Bulletin)

UPDATE: Fire at Dollarama was arson, says investigator

Fire was set about 8:50 p.m. on Monday at Bruce Avenue dollar store

UPDATE: The fire at Dollarama on Monday night was arson, says Nanaimo Fire Rescue. Nanaimo RCMP has taken over the investigation.

PREVIOUSLY POSTED: A fire inside a dollar store in Nanaimo’s Harewood area is under investigation after a report that the fire was purposely set.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue crews were called to the Dollarama on Fifth Street at about 8:50 p.m. Monday, March 29, and found the store filled with smoke and a fire in the retail area.

Fire Chief Tim Doyle said his crews did a great job getting the fire under control quickly and said there were no reports of anyone hurt in the fire.

He said Nanaimo RCMP was called to the scene and that a fire investigator was en route.

“The reports we’re getting from the scene, it looks like it was set,” the chief said.

Doyle said when attacking a fire in a retail store, firefighters “definitely try to limit the damage, absolutely, but that just comes with a quick knockdown, getting the smoke cleared out of the store and getting the sprinklers off once it’s safe to do so.”

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