B.C. transfer station ‘intentionally’ set ablaze after attempted break-in, city says

CRANBROOK, B.C. – Officials in Cranbrook, B.C., say the city’s transfer station for garbage and recycling was “intentionally” set ablaze by someone who tried to break into the facility overnight.

A statement from the Regional District of East Kootenay says the station has reopened after the early morning fire was snuffed out by emergency crews.

The city’s solid waste superintendent Jim Penson says a reinforced steel door thwarted the attempted break-in, but the would-be burglar appears to have broken a window and thrown “some kind of flammable” into the building.

Penson says the fire was dealt with by emergency crews before it could spread, adding that it didn’t affect the transfer station building.

He says Cranbrook RCMP are now investigating the incident.

The regional district’s statement says the transfer station has been reopened, but there may be a looming “smoky odour” because of the fire.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2023.