RCMP arson investigators are asking for witnesses to come forward after a deliberately set fire damaged a home in Canyon Heights.
The first 911 calls started coming in just after 8 p.m. on April 24 from people on Glenwood Avenue and Capilano Road when they saw smoke and flames coming from a property at 4544 Capilano Rd.
District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services crews arrived with three fire engines and the support of the North Vancouver City Fire Department, according to assistant fire chief David Dales. It took 60 metres of hose to reach the source of the fire, an addition built onto the original home, which was fully engulfed in flames.
“It was a big, super aggressive knockdown and they were able to get it before it advanced,” said Dales.
Still, crews forced their way into the main home to make sure the fire hadn’t extended into the walls or attic, Dales said.
The main home was vacant at the time, pending a renovation, Dales said. The owner arrived on the scene shortly after firefighters.
Dales said the fire was unusually aggressive and evidence at the scene required police to start a criminal investigation.
“This wasn’t normal fire behaviour,” he said. “The initial investigation points to deliberately set combustible materials and use of an accelerant that was added into combustible materials.”
On Tuesday, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Sgt. Peter DeVries said arson investigators are looking into the situation.
“We are continuing to look for witnesses and video evidence from the time frame surrounding the fire and we are processing exhibits that were taken from the scene,” he said.
It was lucky, Dales said, that people noticed the fire when they did. Had the fire started just a short time later, after dark, it would have threatened the entire neighbourhood and adjacent Glenwood Park.
“We could have had a full-on wildland urban interface fire based on the location and the setback of that property,” he said. “Kudos to the people who were very quick to call 911.”
As the spring weather warms up and the forecast dries out, Dales said people need to be extra vigilant about forest fires, especially when it comes to discarding “smoking materials.”
Anyone with information about the arson is asked to contact North Vancouver RCMP.
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