A 34-year-old man has been arrested following a grassfire in Nelson on Aug. 28.
“The male was observed lighting the fire by a sharp-eyed Nelson resident who then reported the matter,” the Nelson Police Department stated in a news release on Aug. 30.
A charge of arson has been recommended and he will appear in court on Dec. 7. The man is known to police and is not believed to be involved in the previous arsons in the West Kootenay region.
Nelson Fire and Rescue Services responded to the grass fire by the Hwy 3A/6 overpass below the Alpine Motel in Nelson on Aug. 28 at about 5 p.m.
A large amount of smoke was evident from many blocks away, according to a news release.
“Upon arrival of the first crew, flames had already reached the top of the slope although it had originally started 50 metres below, at the base of the slope,” the news release states. “The first arriving crew’s primary objective was to use on-board water to prevent the aggressive grass fire from spreading to nearby homes and buildings above.”
Video by Rik Logtenberg
As the crew worked the fire they secured a connection to a hydrant and by 5:40 had completely extinguished the blaze.
There were no injuries reported and damage appears to be limited to a 13 x 50m section of the grassy area by the highway.
