North Shore fire treated as “suspicious” by RCMP

May 31, 2016 | 7:45 AM

KAMLOOPS — RCMP are treating an early morning house fire on the North Shore Monday as “suspicious”.  

The fire was reported just before 6:00 AM  Monday morning in the 1200 block of 10th street. According to the RCMP’s Corporal Jodi Shelkie, police think it may have been deliberately set. Shelkie says there was a strong odour of gasoline at the fire. The side porch of the duplex was burning when Kamloops Fire and Rescue crews arrived. Fortunately,witnesses saw the fire, grabbed some buckets and got the fire out before it became more serious. The duplex is vacant and there was noone inside at the time of the fire.

As they searched the area, police and fire crews smelled gasoline and upon further searching, Corporal Shelkie says they found several containers nearby with remnants of accelerants. Police are looking for anyone who may have seen anything in the area at the time the fire broke out, probably between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM yesterday morning. They are also looking for a male witness who was at the fire. He is described as being in his late 20’s or early 30’s, about 160 pounds, 5’8″ tall, scraggy brown hair, scruffy facial hair and wearing a brown hoodie. He was picked up by someone driving a blue, late 2000 model Chevy Super Sport truck.