Update, Friday, May 4 at 11:20 a.m.
Salmon Arm RCMP are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who walked into the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction office and poured an oil and gasoline mixture inside the building before fleeing the scene
On April 3, 2018 at approximately 1:20 p.m., the Salmon Arm Fire Department and RCMP were called to the building on 16th Street NE.
A man in a grey hoodie entered the office waiting and service area and poured the oil and gasoline mixture on the counter and in the waiting area.
According to employees in the office, the man did not say anything and fled from the area.
Seven members of the Salmon Arm fire department were called in to deal with the substance, which was later identified as an oil and gas mixture.
“We evacuated the building and mopped up the liquid, which had been poured inside on some desks and a counter,” says Salmon Arm Fire Chief Brad Shirley. “One employee did get some of the liquid on them, but was not injured.”
The fire department ventilated the office with large fans and a restoration company was called in to deal with the damage.
The Salmon Arm RCMP are looking for the public’s help in identifying who may have done this.
The male suspect appeared to be in his 20s and was wearing a grey hoodie. The male had the hood up while in the building.
Witnesses also advised the man entered an older, dark blue, four-door car which had one silver or grey door on the passenger side of the vehicle.
The investigator would like to speak to the owner of the vehicle in question and identify the man responsible for this act.
If you have information that can assist the RCMP in identifying the man or the vehicle please call the Salmon Arm RCMP Detachment at 250-832-6044 or call Crime Stoppers and leave an anonymous tip at 1‐800‐222‐8477 (TIPS).
Original story, May 3
Police and a crew from the Salmon Arm Fire Department are on scene at the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction office Thursday afternoon after reports of a fuel spill inside the building.
The building is located at 16th Street NE. The call came in at approximately 1:30 p.m.
The fire department was called in to help with the removal of the fuel after RCMP were already on site.
Fire fighters entered the building with a special Hazmat bucket and some containment material.
An Observer reporter on the scene witnessed the crews taking a computer and some other office items outside onto a mat they had placed outside the front door of the office.
A person at the scene, who refused to give his name, said an individual walked into the office and dumped a container containing some type of oil or gasoline on a desk.
More to come as information is available.
