FIRE – Another one, this time in the landscaping at the Halston overpass
Fire in landscaping at Halston overpass on Saturday evening. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
There was yet another fire in Kamloops Saturday night (April 15, 2023) as Kamloops Fire Rescue doused a small blaze on the right of way at the Halston overpass.
The fire ignited shortly after 6 p.m. and fire crews turned hoses on it from a pumper truck on Eighth Street. It destroyed some juniper bushes and damaged some small pine trees. The cause is so far unknown.
A number of suspicious fires have started during the past week.
Three fires occurred Wednesday night on the North Shore.
The reports began around 10:25 p.m., April 12, 2023, when Kamloops Fire Rescue contacted police for assistance with a suspicious grass fire at the north end of the Overlanders Bridge near Fortune Drive.
KFR was already on the scene at a grass fire on the other side of the Fortune Drive overpass. At 10:55 p.m., another fire was located in a fenced compound on the 500-block of Tranquille Road.
“Luckily, no one was injured and no property was damaged, but the fires could be related due to the timing, proximity, and a person of interest observed in the area,” said RCMP Cpl. Crystal Evelyn.
During the Overlanders fire, witnesses reported seeing a man in black clothing with a white cap near a church and Leigh Road. A similar description was received of a person near the Tranquille Road fire. In both cases, the Police Dog Services Unit attended, but did not locate a suspect.
“We are reaching out to the public to help us identify the man in the white hat and dark clothing, and to request that they contact police with any information, photos, or videos that may help further the investigation,” said Cpl. Evelyn.
Over the last week, police received several other reports of fires including in the bushes near Battle Street and 2nd Avenue on April 6, around 11:30 p.m.; the rear deck of a business on the 400-block of Victoria Street between 1 and 2 a.m. on April 7, then on the 1300-block of Columbia Street West for a shopping cart fire around 11:10 p.m.; and to a vehicle fire on McGill Road around 4 a.m. on April 10, among others.
“Police are encouraging anyone who witnesses someone attempting to illegally start fires, or who comes across a fire, no matter how small, to please call 911,” added Cpl. Evelyn.
Those with information related to these investigations are asked to please contact the Kamloops RCMP Detachment at 250-828-3000.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
There was also a fire near the stairs at St. Paul and 2d at noon on Apr. 15. On the hill near Stuart Wood. The firefighters got that out. That would have been a Westend destroyer if it had got out of hand.
Fire Department is asking for folks to fireproof homes. Inside and outside.
I call police all the time for homeless lighting fires, unfortunately nothing happens.
Obviously deliberately set by someone with nothing else to do and with screwed up synapses. How can we get this person back on his (productive) feet? Compulsory rehab?