JUST past midnight on February 1, an alert Delta Police officer observed a fire in the disposal shed of a local restaurant. The officer’s quick reaction not only stopped the fire from spreading to the building, but also resulted in the suspect being located and arrested.

The officer requested the assistance of the Delta Fire Department to extinguish the fire and then went to work to identify the fire’s cause. Her investigation led to CCTV footage of a suspicious male entering the disposal area before the fire started, and leaving the area as the fire’s intensity began to grow. Other officers located the same male in the area and arrested him without incident.

Follow-up investigation determined that a similar fire had occurred at the same location a day earlier and that the same suspect was seen on CCTV footage at that time as well.
Without the officer’s observation, this fire could easily have spread to the main restaurant building, immediately adjacent to the disposal area, and endangered lives.

The suspect was released on an undertaking by officers. Two charges of arson have been recommended. The suspect is a 59-year-old male of no fixed address, who frequents the area of the fire.

No injuries occurred because of these arsons.