Suspicious fire under investigation after camper burned with man sleeping inside: North Vancouver RCMP

Mounties are asking a pair of witnesses to come forward after a suspicious fire sparked outside a camper on the North Shore while a man was sleeping inside.

North Vancouver RCMP said firefighters alerted them of the blaze just after 9:30 p.m. on Monday, after flames broke out underneath the vehicle while it was parked near W 1st Street and MacKay Road.

"The occupant of the truck, who was sleeping inside the camper at the time of the fire, was alerted by District of North Vancouver Fire Rescue Services and safely escaped," Const. Mansoor Sahak said in a news release Wednesday, adding that firefighters were then able to extinguish the flames.

Mounties said the original caller was informed by two men who say they observed an unidentified man on a bicycle throw an object under the vehicle before the fire.

Authorities have yet to identify those witnesses and are hoping to speak with them in an effort to further the investigation.

"We are extremely grateful that the man living inside the camper was able to safely escape," Sahak said. "We are in the very early stages of this investigation and are working closely with the DNVFRS to determine the cause of the fire."

Anyone who witnessed or has video of the incident is asked to contact North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311 and quote file number 23-24844.