UPDATE: Man arrested in wake of suspicious Kelowna house fire

KELOWNA – A citizen's arrest of a man believed to be behind a suspicious house fire early this morning may have led to charges being filed.

Mounties responded today, Aug. 30, just after 12:10 a.m. to a report of a house fire in the 800 block of Galbraith Place. 

"Prior to the arrival of the police, local residents stopped and restrained the man they believed to be responsible for the fire effecting a citizen’s arrest. When officers arrived, the male was taken into police custody and will remain in custody until he can appear before the court," Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Meghan Foster said in a press release.

The suspect male has been identified as a 24-year-old Kelowna resident and arson-related charges are pending. The Kelowna RCMP General Investigation Section has assumed conduct of the investigation and are working in partnership with the Kelowna Fire Department to gather evidence.

“While there have been other fires reported in this area, it is too early to know if the incidents are linked and the same firebug is responsible. Investigators will be looking for linkages between each incident as part of their investigation,” Foster said. “The quick actions of the public assisted the police in the apprehension of the suspect and fortunately no one was hurt during the process.”

The fire was in a two-storey carriage house, according to a Kelowna Fire Department media release. The main residence and the carriage house were unoccupied at the time.

Anyone with any information can contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. Or remain completely anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.