Woman arrested after allegedly intentionally setting forest fire on Vancouver Island

'Police responded to the area and located an individual suspected to be responsible for the fire. The suspect was identified as a 27-year-old woman.'

Woman arrested after allegedly intentionally setting forest fire on Vancouver Island
Elena_Alex - stock.adobe.com
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Port Alberni police say that they will be recommending charges after a woman allegedly set a fire in a forested area on Tuesday.

An off duty police officer from the Port Alberni RCMP reported a fire near the junction of Stirling Arm Forest Service Road and Canal Main Forest Road at around 6 pm, police said in a news release Wednesday.

“Police responded to the area and located an individual suspected to be responsible for the fire. The suspect was identified as a 27-year-old woman. She has been held in custody to be brought before the courts. Police will be forwarding a detailed report to Crown Counsel for consideration of charges,” the release reads.

The fire measured approximately 0.5 hectares. The RCMP reminded in their statement that campfires and open burning are currently restricted across British Columbia due to the high heat and drought-like conditions through much of the province.

In an email to CTV News, spokesperson Cpl. Alex Berube said that they made the arrest because they had “reasonable grounds” to believe that the woman had set the fire intentionally.

Even if no criminal charges are laid, individuals who violate open burning bans in B.C. may be subject to fines of $1,150 and administrative penalties that can reach $10,000. A court conviction could lead to a fine of up to $100,000 and a sentence of up to one year in jail.

Port Alberni RCMP ask anyone with information about Tuesday's incident to contact them at 250-723-2424.

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