Police are looking for two people who briefly spoke with officers in the midst of a manhunt Tuesday afternoon, related to a series of fires along the Nanaimo Parkway. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

parkway fires

‘They have key evidence:’ Nanaimo RCMP make urgent call for pair of Parkway fire witnesses

Jul 5, 2023 | 12:07 PM

NANAIMO — The clock is ticking for local Mounties to lay charges against an alleged firebug, and they need the public’s help.

RCMP officers are urgently wanting to speak with a pair of people who told police on scene they saw first-hand an older man deliberately lighting fires along the Nanaimo Parkway just before noon on Tuesday, July 4.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW two people briefly spoke with police, but officers lost contact during the chase and the ultimate arrest of the suspect.

“We need several witnesses that interacted with police and they have key evidence, that evidence is key to support charges moving forward. Police officers interacted with them about 12:20 p.m., one who actually chased after the suspect and told us where he was, and another that tried to extinguish the blaze.”

O’Brien suspects the two people are local and were out walking along the trails.

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He said their direct account of what happened and what they saw is pivotal.

“They have direct knowledge of what they saw. The allegations are this individual set fires deliberately, we don’t have direct knowledge but those people do so that evidence is key so we can put that before the courts and substantiate the charge.”

O’Brien previously said the suspect was arrested around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, with Mounties allowed to hold someone for up to 24 hours before laying charges.

As of noon Wednesday, the unnamed suspect remained in custody.

Tuesday’s incident drew a considerable response from Nanaimo Fire Rescue as they deployed every available piece of equipment to the scene.

Gusty winds and fires set in multiple areas also forced local crews to make a rare call for help via mutual aid to both East Wellington and Lantzville fire departments.

As a result of the fire, and efforts to douse it, crews closed the southbound lanes of the Nanaimo Parkway on either side of Northfield Rd. for several hours Tuesday afternoon.

It led to extensive backups along the Old Island Hwy. and several main city arteries such as Bowen Rd.

Crews on scene estimated fires stretched roughly a kilometre along the Nanaimo Parkway.

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