Bail denied for Okanagan man who allegedly started Knox Mountain blaze

A 48-year-old Okanagan man arrested last week for allegedly starting a wildfire on Knox Mountain in Kelowna has been denied bail.

Robert Austin Teal appeared in front of BC Provincial Court Judge Aamna Afsar over the weekend, facing two charges of arson damaging property and assaulting a police officer with a weapon.

Teal had sought release, but the Crown argued that, given the extreme risk of wildfire to the city of Kelowna and the potential devastation and loss of homes, Teal should be kept behind bars.

And the provincial court judge agreed.

On Oct. 24, RCMP officers had to escort hikers off Knox Mountain as the Kelowna Fire Department dealt with the blaze. It didn’t take long for Mounties to catch up with Teal, who was arrested later that afternoon.

Teal has a lengthy criminal record dating back almost 20 years, when he was first convicted for assault and assault causing bodily harm and jailed for four months in 2006.

The majority of his convictions took place in Penticton, and he’s since spent time in jail for domestic assault and uttering threats.

In 2022, he made headlines when he entered a Summerland liquor store and gas station, wielding a chainsaw.

People fled and no one was hurt during the incident that involved a Teal having a standoff with police, which lasted 45 minutes.

The RCMP said at the time that drugs were suspected to have been a contributing factor.

He was later jailed for 10 months.

Precise details of what took place at Knox Mountain aren’t known, and Teal will now remain in custody as the case ticks through the court system.