One firehall, three suspected arsonists

It seemed like a coincidence at first, just a bad spate of fires in a quiet rural region north of Sydney, N.S.

They happened over months, from early spring into deep summer. Old buildings, two cottages, some cars: Just random stuff, really. But it kept burning down.

In the eight weeks before July 1, the all-volunteer fire department in Florence dealt with 11 structure fires, a huge increase from the seasonal average. The tiny department was so busy it cancelled its own Canada Day parade after fighting one nasty blaze in a vacant home on June 30.

“We couldn’t have all the trucks out for the kids and have them running around if we get a major call,” Dave Julian Jr., the department chief, told the Cape Breton Post at the time.

By that point, police had already detected a pattern. It was clear then that all those fires could not be accidental. It seemed instead there was an arsonist — or arsonists — at work in Cape Breton, burning unoccupied buildings, and cars, and sometimes just bush, for no apparent reason.

By midsummer, Julian knew there was likely a firebug out there, maybe working alone, maybe as part of a team. But that knowledge did not prepare him for the revelation to come: the arsonists, police claimed, were three of Julian’s own.

On Thursday, Cape Breton Regional Police announced it had charged Gary Richard Luker, a 33-year-old rookie in the fire department, with two counts of arson, related, Julian said, to fires at a building and a car.

Luker joined James (Jamie) MacDonald and Stephen Tremblett as Florence Fire Department members charged with arson this year. Between them, MacDonald and Tremblay are accused of setting 16 separate fires last summer and spring in and around the community of less than 2,000.

In a perverse twist, they also helped put each fire out, Julian said in a text message.

No one was hurt in any of the fires, according to police. Most struck abandoned buildings, but two cottages were also torched.

Julian said he is perplexed by the charges.

“I’ve been asking around to police and family and nobody can answer,” he said. “There’s no financial gain. Most (of them) were just old buildings.”

When MacDonald and Tremblett were originally charged last August, Luker was working out west, Julian said. As the investigation continued, though, Luker was eventually linked to two of the fires that MacDonald and Tremblett are accused of setting.

“It’s unclear what his actual involvement is with the fires, but he can be placed at the scene,” said Julian.

Julian described Luker as very well-liked by his peers. “He showed great potential,” he said.

He was arrested on Dec. 23 and released on a promise to appear. He’s due back in court on Jan. 17.

Tremblett, 49, was charged with 12 counts of arson, MacDonald, 24, with 16. Both are still awaiting trial.