UPDATE:
Local RCMP say the fires started around Quesnel last night and early this morning are being treated as suspicious in nature.
“We are investigating and we are out looking for clues. If anyone was out and saw anyone acting in a suspicious manner or noticed anyone near those scenes, give us a ring. One investigator is compiling them all together and looking for trends,” says Sgt. Chris Riddle.
Quesnel Fire Department chief Sylvain Gauthier provided the Observer with an update on the fires, which took place in West Quesnel and downtown between 11 p.m. last night and 7 a.m. this morning.
He says 11 firefighters responded to the first call of a vehicle on fire on Doherty Drive.
“At about 11 o’clock last night we were dispatched to a vehicle fire on Doherty Drive, which was quickly followed by a dumpster fire in the parking lot of Save-On Foods.”
The third fire, located in a dumpster downtown in the parking lot between Tim Hortons and Granville’s Coffee, had about eight responders, says Gauthier.
“And at six this morning we were dispatched to a small fire in front of the Observer, in the parking lot at Reid and Carson. As soon as we had that extinguished, we had a report of smoke in the vicinity of Dairy Queen. There was a small garbage fire at that location,” he says.
Seven firefighters were on the scene at the two fires this morning.
Gauthier says Quesnel RCMP were present at all the calls, and the causes are still being investigated.
ORIGINAL POST:
The Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department responded to two reports of fires late last night (July 17) and three early this morning (July 18).
A report of a vehicle fire on Doherty Drive had the fire department in West Quesnel at around 11:20 p.m. last night, and there were also two reports of dumpster fires, one on Malcolm Drive near Save-On Foods at 11:45 p.m. and one on Front Street in the early hours of Wednesday near Granville’s Coffee at 12:50 a.m.
The department also responded to a report of an open air fire in the parking lot across from the Observer on Carson Avenue this morning, which turned out to be a portable toilet on fire. The report came in at 6:10 a.m.
And they received a call reporting smoke at 424 McLean Street around 6:30 a.m. The smoke was reported at Dakelh and Community Housing Society’s new building, behind Remax and across from the Super Suds Laundromat, and firefighters found insulation on fire near the new apartments. As of 6:45 a.m. they were continuing to douse the area.
READ MORE: House fire on Allard Street Monday night
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