The Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) has determined the cause of the Beaver River trestle fire to be arson and the matter has now been turned over to the RCMP and will proceed as a criminal investigation.
BRFA chief Brian McEvoy said the fire originated in an abandoned vehicle that had been set on fire and pushed over the north end embankment on the west side of the trestle. The vehicle then became lodged in the trestle partway down the embankment, eventually setting the structure ablaze.
“Once we determined it was an incendiary fire (arson), we then turned the case over to RCMP to conduct a criminal investigation,” explained McEvoy.
Cold Lake RCMP detachment commander Rob Cunningham said the criminal investigation is already underway.
“We've been interviewing people regarding the incident, including the people that called it in and others that we've identified that may have information in relation to the incident,” Cunningham explained.
“If we get into a position where we can make an arrest or support charges, than we will absolutely be doing it.”
Fire crews and RCMP first responded to the trestle fire on June 22 after receiving calls from the public and 4 Wing Cold Lake.
McEvoy said 4 Wing was the first to call in the fire, notifying area fire crews of the blaze early Friday morning. RCMP was notified soon after by residents who saw smoke rising from the structure and approached the area to investigate.
The fire eventually rendered the structure unsafe. McEvoy urged the public to stay clear of the trestle.
He noted there is still one hot spot burning near the middle of the trestle deck as of June 29. However, because the trestle is unsafe fire crews were unable to extinguish the flames.
McEvoy said crews would continue to monitor the trestle until the remaining hot spot burns through the layered timber of the deck, at which point firefighters would be able to extinguish it.
Though the trestle has been classified as unsafe, the future of the bridge is still in question.
Marianne Price, Administrative Coordinator for Iron Horse Trail (IHT), which the trestle is a part of, said engineers would be brought in to determine the damage to the trestle.
“We've been in communication with the engineers and they will be looking into the state of the trestle as soon as possible,” she explained. “One they determine the amount of damage then we'll know what we're faced with.”
The trestle, which was an abandoned CN rail line, was acquired by 10 communities 13 years ago and turned into a portion of the multi-use IHT.
The trestle is valued at $2.28 million and was not insured.
