LAC LA BICHE - Lac La Biche RCMP are hoping Plamondon residents can help with a recent vehicle fire that could have been deliberately set.
Police and Plamondon fire crews were called out to a 3am blaze on Saturday, May 14. When fire crews arrived, a vehicle was engulfed in flames. Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire.
RCMP say witnesses reported seeing two young people running away from the area at the time of the blaze.
No one was physically injured during the incident.
"Lac La Biche RCMP are asking the public's assistance for any information in relation to this incident — or identifying those responsible," said Lac La Biche RCMP Const. Cassandra Calverley.
Anyone with information about this incident can contact the Lac La Biche RCMP detachment at 780-404-2500 or leave anonymous details through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Two house fires
The blaze is one of the latest incidents in a busy stretch for local Fire Rescue that began at the end of April.
John Kokotilo, Lac La Biche County's Manager of Protective Services, said April wrapped up with "an extremely hectic" 24-hour period from April 28 to 29 that included two house fires and half a dozen grass fires along Highway 55 sparked by a broken trailer dragging behind a truck.
The first house fire, reported at 10 am on April 28 resulted in a complete loss to an older mobile home near the Mission. The cause of the blaze was said to have originated from electrical wiring in the attic. There were no injuries in that blaze. The second house fire was in the Owl River area along Highway 858 at 2 am on April 29. That fire caused substantial damage to the residence. No injuries were reported in that blaze.
Kokotilo said during the same timeframe, fire services were also called out to an alarm call at the Impala condominiums, and a motor vehicle crash on Highway 63.
In the two weeks since the month began, fire crews have responded to several motor vehicle collisions — including a fatality crash on May 16 — and many grass fires.
On the same day as the Plamondon vehicle blaze, Lac La Biche County Fire Rescue crews were also called to an outdoor storage compound at the municipality's County Centre on Highway 881 to extinguish a small fire.
