Woman charged with 4 counts of arson after fires set in southeastern B.C.
An RCMP vehicle is seen in this undated image. (Shutterstock)
A woman was charged with multiple counts of arson after several incidents in southeastern B.C., Mounties announced Friday.
Police said their investigation in partnership with BC Wildfire Service began after a resident in the Monte Lake area, which is about 50 kilometres southeast of Kamloops, spotted a suspicious vehicle on a forestry road. The resident was looking at some smoke in the hills at the time and wrote down the vehicle's licence plate.
Mounties said they issued a notice to the community a few days later and other residents came forward, reporting other incidents with that same vehicle.
On Wednesday, Angela Elise Cornish, 42, was arrested and has since been charged with four counts of arson, the RCMP said. Those charges stem from "incidents in various locations in the Southeast District of B.C.," Mounties said.
Cornish will remain in custody until a bail hearing on Monday.
The RCMP said residents and the work of BCWS helped move the investigation forward.
Police didn't elaborate on where the fires were set, but BCWS said it was notified of "several human-caused wildfires on Crown land that were suspected incendiary in nature."
"Due to the close working relationship between the RCMP and BC Wildfire Service, coupled with the serious nature of these fires, resources were quickly deployed to this priority investigation," Lisa Hudema, wildfire enforcement superintendent with BCWS, said in a news release.
The cause of the fires are still under investigation and a report will be sent to the RCMP with BCWS' findings.
So far this wildfire season, which began on April 1, 106 wildfires have been recorded in the province. Of those, more than 94 per cent are believed to be human-caused, which officials have previously said is not uncommon earlier in the season. The cause of the remaining fires is unknown.
Anyone who spots a wildfire can report it to BCWS by calling 1-800-663-5555.
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