Arson charge laid months after Vancouver fire that caused more than $1M in damage
Nearly five months after a third-alarm fire destroyed an under-construction home in South Vancouver, a 37-year-old man has been charged.
Force Forsythe is charged with one count of arson with disregard for life, the Vancouver Police Department announced Tuesday.
The fire began around 9 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2022. Flames tore through the under-construction building on Argyle Street between 32nd and 33rd Avenues and spread to two neighbouring homes before firefighters were able to get it under control.
In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, crews said it was suspicious, and surveillance video showing a person carrying what appeared to be an orange can of gasoline into the construction site was soon posted online.
A few weeks after the fire, the property owners shared a longer version of the surveillance video with CTV News.
The video showed a vehicle slowly driving in the alley of the duplex on Argyle Street. Next, it showed a person dressed in black entering the property through the back gate, carrying the apparent gas can.
At one point in the video, the man seemed to get spooked and attempted to hide. Eventually, he could be seen throwing the canister, kneeling down amid a flash of bright light.
Moments later, he grabbed the can and sprinted away as the home was engulfed in flames.
The owners of the property described themselves as a group of lifelong friends who invested in it together as a way to enter Vancouver's highly competitive real estate market.
“It was horrible,” said Graydon Galloway, one of the owners, in an interview with CTV News in January.
“I’m a new dad as well so it was my first night out. Just as the show was starting, I got a message with pictures from a friend saying the property’s been burnt down.”
The high school teacher said he and his friends plan to rebuild on the lot, but were left shaken by the apparent arson.
The VPD said Tuesday that the fire caused more than $1 million in damage, but no injuries.
Forsythe's next court appearance is scheduled for June 26, according to police.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Isabella Zavarise
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