Penticton, B.C., fire at care home construction site considered ‘suspicious:’ RCMP

PENTICTON — A massive fire that destroyed a care home under construction in Penticton, B.C., is being investigated as suspicious.

RCMP say specialized investigators were only able to access the site Wednesday, a week after the fire that prompted the city to issue an evacuation order and declare a state of local emergency.

Mounties say officers are conducting a criminal investigation and “exploring every possible avenue” to gather evidence and identify those responsible.

The site was supposed to become a 200-bed long-term care facility aimed at addressing acute local demands, and Health Minister Josie Osborne has called the fire “devastating” for the area’s seniors.