Vernon boat blaze one of many suspicious fires

VERNON – As police continue to investigate a rash of unsolved arsons from last summer, a number of new cases, including a suspicious boat fire over the weekend, are adding to an already lengthy list.

It’s hard to say if any of them are connected, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says.

“Our officers are continuing to follow up on all leads we have right now,” Molendyk says.

So far this year we’ve seen suspicious dumpster fires and most recently, a suspected arson fire that damaged three boats on display outside a Vernon business.

A cop noticed the flames coming from the boat fire on 43 Avenue around 3:10 a.m., Saturday, May 30 and alerted the fire department, Molendyk says.

A Bombardier Seadoo Utopia boat valued at $20,000 was ruined, and two other boats nearby were badly damaged. The boats had been sitting on display at the front of the business since the wintertime, and Molendyk says for one to suddenly catch fire is suspicious.

Police are looking into the possibility of obtaining video surveillance, and are also asking anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area to call the detachment.

Molendyk couldn’t say if the Vernon fires are related to a number of suspicious blazes in Lake Country and in Kelowna, but says police “share information up and down the valley.”

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.