Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

Downtown Hotel Fire

Kamloops man arrested for setting downtown hotel fire Thursday

Dec 4, 2020 | 1:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops man has been arrested in connection to an intentionally-set fire at a downtown hotel.

According to Sgt. Darren Michels of Kamloops RCMP, police were called just after 1:00 a.m. Thursday (Dec. 3) to help Kamloops Fire Rescue personnel at the Thompson Inn on Victoria Street.

It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze. It ended up causing extensive smoke damage to rooms above a parking area and more limited smoke damage to the neighbouring Noble Pig pub.

Surveillance footage showed someone intentionally starting the fire before running away.

About two hours after they were first called, investigators tracked down a person matching the suspect’s description. The 39-year-old man had evidence in his possession connecting him to the fire.

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Michels says the man has an upcoming court date to face charges.

“It is very disheartening that someone would intentionally start a fire like this in our community putting others at risk for no apparent reason” said Michels in a news release. “We are certainly very happy that this fire was observed early and didn’t have time to spread.”