UPDATE: Fire could be vigilantism, police say

UPDATE:

It may be a case of vigilantism and it has Chase RCMP concerned.

Officers attended a report of suspicious activity at a house on the 3000 block of Hilliam Road in Scotch Creek Tuesday night, according to a press release.

While no one was at the scene, police had to call in firefighters who were able to quickly douse a fire at the residence, as previously reported by Vernon Matters.

A fire official said he found two points of origin and turned the matter over to RCMP arson investigators.

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Cpl. Scott Linklater, RCMP spokesperson, said police are concerned the arson at the building “is an escalation of the conflict between a group of local residents and the previous occupants of the house.”

Linklater went on to say, “[t]he RCMP does not condone vigilantism and would recommend the public to leave investigations to the police.”

Linklater said police attended the same residence over the weekend following a report of a shotgun blast.

He said officers determined a group of individuals had gone to the residence in an attempt to retrieve stolen property.

Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact Chase RCMP at 250-679-3221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

(with files from CFJC Kamloops)

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RCMP are investigating a suspicious house fire in the Shuswap Tuesday night.

About 20 firefighters from the Scotch Creek and Celista fire departments fought the blaze after being called around 9 p.m.

“Scotch Creek and Celista fire departments were having a mutual aid practice just last night and at the end of the practice, about nine o’clock, a structure fire call came in in Scotch Creek,” Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) Fire Services Coordinator Sean Coubrough said.

The house on the 3000 block of Hilliam Road was vacant and Coubrough said signs inside and outside showed it was intentionally set.

“It appears as though there were two points of origin,” said Coubrough. “One was on the interior of the building, in a bedroom in a closet space, a pile of clothes had been lit on fire and on the exterior of the building as well it looks like somebody tried to start a fire on the outside.”

It was then RCMP were called in.

“As soon as we determined there were multiple points of origin, I consulted with the RCMP, let them know, and turned the investigation over to them.”

Coubrough said firefighters were called to the same residence a few days ago to assist in an RCMP operation.