Police nab suspect in channel grass fires

4 fires set Sunday evening along Penticton’s river channel

A man is alleged to have used balled-up paper towels and a lighter to intentionally set four grass fires along Penticton’s river channel Sunday evening.

The man, who is in his 40s, was arrested after a short foot pursuit, Penticton RCMP said. The fires were difficult to access. Firefighters on foot worked to control the spot fires before they got out of control. The last one, near Green Mountain Road, was the largest to deal with, fire department officials said.

It was around 5:30 p.m. when the Penticton RCMP and the fire department responded to the first fire lit near Eckhardt Avenue and the Channel Parkway.

While en route to the fire, the witness who reported the fire said he watched a man lighting the fire. The witness saw the man running south on the west side of the Channel Parkway trail.

When officers arrived, they spotted another fire starting nearby, just south of the first one. While patrolling the area for the suspect, officers overheard a man cheering, Const. James Grandy said in a press release.

A firefighter followed the suspect and officers joined the chase. After a short foot pursuit, the suspect was arrested. He was found with a lighter and balled-up paper towel, said Grandy. The name of the suspect has not been released. “At this time, the suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues. The RCMP is requesting anyone who may have observed this incident to call the Penticton RCMP, 250-492-4300,” Grandy said.

Members of the city and Penticton Indian Band fire departments converged on the grass fires with help from West Bench and band reserve residents, who held the flames at bay and made sure they didn’t start a wildfire.