Suspicious fire at apartment building

Police and fire officials are investigating what is being considered a suspicious early morning blaze, which triggered the evacuation of an apartment building in Revelstoke.

On Wednesday (Oct. 28) at 12:41 a.m., RCMP received a request to assist Revelstoke Fire Services who were responding to reports of a possible structure fire at an apartment building in the 1200-block of Front Street. Officers attended to the scene where they met with fire crews and determined the fire was sparked and contained inside a vacant and insecure unit.

“Preliminary findings at the fire scene suggest that the blaze is suspicious in nature and may have been deliberately set,” stated Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the BC RCMP in the Southeast District. “Quick thinking and acting residents not only alerted other building tenants to the situation, but ensured proper evacuations and utilized fire extinguishers to prevent the fire from spreading. RCMP has not received any reports of injuries.”

RCMP has secured the potential crime scene, and called for the assistance of forensic specialists with RCMP Integrated Forensic Identification Services. A full examination of the scene will be conducted with the goal of determining the exact cause of the fire and gather physical evidence to support the ongoing police investigation.