It’s been more than a year since a fire destroyed the Canadian Tire building in Mission and now, according to an RCMP press release, charges have been filed.
According to the release, “Mission RCMP Serious Crime Unit have conducted an intense and thorough investigation” into the blaze, which occurred on Jan. 30, 2019. As a result, charges of Arson with disregard for human life under the Criminal Code have been laid against 26-year-old Quince Chalifoux.
MORE: Fire considered suspicious
ALSO: Suspect arrested, released
“Sometimes an investigation that is complex like this can take time to deal with. There is a lot of evidence to manage and process,” said Cpl. Nathan Berze of the Mission RCMP.
“We want to make sure all of our ducks are in a row before we bring a case like this before Crown Counsel and the courts. The Serious Crime Unit did an excellent job in solving this crime and bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion.”
About the fire:
The fire, which was classified as an arson early into the investigation – occurred on Jan. 30, 2019 at about 6 p.m. The store was evacuated, and Mission Fire Rescue Service was called in to extinguish the blaze. While the damage was quite extensive, it soon became worse.
Later that night, at about 2 a.m., an explosion took place inside the store, setting off approximately 185 sprinklers and causing even more damage.
READ: Fire causes millions in damage
The amount of devastation and damage was in the millions of dollars.
The store was rebuilt and reopened in Aug. 29, 2019.
kevin.mills@missioncityrecord.com
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