A man was hospitalized and then arrested Monday evening after burning himself while allegedly setting fire to his familys North Vancouver home.
Firefighters found the unidentified 30-year-old near a burning two-storey house at 815 East 29th Street just before 7:30 p.m. He was suffering from minor burns to his hands and smoke inhalation. Paramedics rushed the man to Lions Gate Hospital for treatment while crews set to battling the blaze, which was spreading quickly from the first floor of the wood-frame building to the second.
Firefighters got the flames under control in about 20 minutes, and had fully extinguished the blaze by about 8 p.m. The house was severely damaged.
North Vancouver RCMP, who had accompanied the man to hospital, took him into custody after a preliminary investigation suggested the fire had been deliberately set. As of Tuesday morning, he was still in treatment at Lions Gate.
Its not clear what exactly the mans relationship is to the residents of the home. Police have only said he was a relative, and that he lives elsewhere in North Vancouver. The usual occupants were away when the fire broke out.
Witnesses reported that the man attempted to re-enter the house after firefighters arrived. That report has not been confirmed, however.
Fire investigators remained on scene Tuesday morning. Police say they believe the man set the blaze, but that they are still conferring with Crown prosecutors as to whether they will recommend charges.
With much of the first floor gutted and the second damaged by smoke, it seems likely the home will be torn down, according to firefighters. That wont be a certainty, however, until the insurer has had a chance to inspect the structure.
The way the insurance companies do it nowadays, nothing would surprise me, said District of North Vancouver assistant fire chief Steve Feenstra. They may try to fix it; you never know.
The mans name has not been released
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