Fire investigators and police are looking into the third structural blaze in the Lac La Biche hamlet in as many weeks, after a Saturday morning fire gutted a building owned by Northern Lights Public Schools on the southwestern outskirts of the community.
Fire alarms first rang just before 10 on Saturday morning after community peace officers on patrol spotted flames coming from the building that is located just south of the railroad tracks on 105 Street near the Independent Grocers store. The building, a long-time storage warehouse for the local school division, sits adjacent to a "tent city" of homeless residents, and has recently been the target of vandals.
Firefighters from all five Lac La Biche County fire halls, as well as outside-jurisdiction assistance from the County of Athabasca, were called on to assist with the blaze.
"Several units were dispatched to this event for manpower relief due to the hot weather and water supply," said Lac La Biche's Manager of Protective Services and regional fire chief John Kokotilo, adding that fire crews were at the scene for more than eight hours, putting out hot-spots and making sure a surrounding wooded area was protected from any sparks.
Building gutted
According to school division officials, the were no valuable contents inside the building — but the fire caused significant damage to the majority of the building. At the time of the fire, there was no outside power supply going to the building. Kokotilo says the fire investigators continue to search for clues.
"The fire is deemed suspicious and is being investigated," he said.
The blaze is the third suspicious fire reported within the community since late June. A fire at the V&H Space Dock Drive In restaurant destroyed that building on the morning of June 22. A day later the outside doors of a large storage building along a downtown Lac La Biche back alley were set on fire. Police confirmed that both of those fires had been deliberately set. A 24-year-old area woman was arrested and charged with arson in connection to the June 23 fire. Police are continuing to investigate the fire at V&H.
Smoke and fire
Saturday's fire at the school division building came just 12 hours after thick black smoke was seen west of the Lac La Biche hamlet by some residents. At the same time, Lac La Biche RCMP patrols were seen in the area alongside the railroad tracks. Police say those events are not directly related to Saturday's blaze, as Friday's smoke was likely from a resident west of the Lac La Biche hamlet burning brush piles. Police say they were called to an area near the tracks that same night on reports of an intoxicated person.
Saturday's fire, as well as the V&H fire, continue to be active investigations for police. RCMP vehicles were at the scene of Saturday's fire all day, along with local fire officials and a fire investigator.
"The fire investigator has deemed it to be intentionally set ... If anyone has any information on this, they can contact Lac la Biche RCMP or Crime Stoppers," says Lac La Biche RCMP Corp. Roxanne Genereaux.
Kokotilo tells the POST that while the increase of suspicious fires is unusual, the events are not necessarily related.
"It is hard to speculate on whatever is going on," says the regional fire chief who has been in the professions for more than 40 years, explaining that sometimes a run of similar incidents can simply be a coincidence. "At this time, it doesn't look like they are related. But we have fire investigations that will tell us."
No drugs found
No injuries were reported from Saturday's blaze, and when asked if the fire could have been started by illicit drug production — as has been a circulating rumour in the community — Kokotilo said it was not.
"After conferring with the investigator – there is no indication whatsoever of a drug lab operation in this structure," he said.
RCMP officials are saying the same.
"There has been no indication from members or fire investigators that narcotics were present," said Genereaux.
* This article was UPDATED on July 13 at 11 am to include RCMP comments.
