Photo by Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Liam Verster

90 Year old Bridge Destroyed

Fire that destroyed the historic Red Bridge in Kamloops believed to be arson

Sep 20, 2024 | 2:52 PM

The RCMP is seeking information on the fire that destroyed the historic Red Bridge in Kamloops.

Mounties said it’s believed the fire that caused the 90 year old bridge to go up in flames was arson.

The fire was reported at 3:25 a.m. Thursday, Sept 19, and the flames fully engulfed the structure that had been used to cross the South Thompson River for nearly a century before it collapsed into the water.

“The investigation is still in its very early stages, but we do believe the Red Bridge was intentionally set on fire and we are treating it as arson, based on the information and evidence reviewed so far,” said Superintendent Jeff Pelley of the Kamloops RCMP in a release on Friday.

“The Red Bridge was an important and historic part of our community’s infrastructure; it is extremely disheartening to think that it was purposely destroyed. As our police officers work in partnership with KFR in advancing this investigation, we ask the public to please reach out with any information that may be related.”

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The fire that razed the bridge was the second one within a week, with the other reported around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17. Police said it was not known if these fires were connected with one another, though they were investigating that possibility.

The public is asked to check security and dash cam footage from the bridge and surrounding areas in the days leading up to the fire, and to report any suspicious persons or activity to the Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000, or the Tk’emlúps Rural RCMP Detachment at 250-314-1800.

“You may have observed something that seemed out of place or stood out, which could now be relevant to advancing our investigation into what is believed to have been a criminal act,” Pelley said.

“It’s very important that anyone in the community who has any information which could be related to the Red Bridge fire, please share it with police as soon as possible.”

As of time of publication, the investigation into the blaze was ongoing and involved the RCMP members of both the Kamloops and Tk’emlúps Rural Detachments, the RCMP’s General Investigations Support Team, Forensic Identification Unit, fire investigators, and Kamloops Fire Rescue.