Arson fire at Shuswap residence may be escalation of vigilantism

CHASE – Police are worried about vigilantism in a small Shuswap community following what appears to be a dispute between a group of residents and the former residents of a house.

Chase RCMP say at approximately 8:30 p.m. yesterday, Sept. 10, officers responded to reports of suspicious activity at a home on Hilliam Road in Scotch Creek. 

When officers arrived, they found nobody at the scene but a fire had been stared along a wall of the residence, according to an RCMP news release. Fire crews from the Scotch Creek and Celista fire departments were training nearby and responded quickly, putting out the fire and saving the structure.

Upon further examination, it was determined that the fire was intentionally set. Police are investigating further to determine who started the fire.

Police attended the same residence on the weekend for a report of a shotgun blast and officers determined a group of individuals had walked up to the residence in an attempt to retrieve stolen property.

"The Chase RCMP Detachment is concerned the attempted burning of the building is an escalation of the conflict between a group of local residents and the previous occupants of the house," RCMP Cpl. Scott Linklater says in the release.

"The RCMP does not condone vigilantism and would recommend the public to leave investigations to the police."

Anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Chase RCMP at 250-679-3221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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