RCMP conclude fire that destroyed vacant property was arson

By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

The RCMP are confirming that a fire that destroyed a vacant property on Lewis Avenue early on New Year’s Day was indeed a case of arson.

Firefighters responded to a fully engulfed blaze at 10 Lewis Ave. shortly after 4 a.m. on Jan. 1.

The RCMP have learned through their investigation that a small, black, two-door vehicle was seen in the area twice around 3:30 a.m. They are seeking any information the public may have on this vehicle or the fire.

Aside from the fact that this was a vacant property, which made the fire suspicious at the outset, Corporal Paul Pittman said a number of factors led police to conclude that the fire was arson. “Basically through eye witnesses and some evidence that was left at the scene,” he said, adding, “Also when accelerants are used flames are a different colour, so speaking with the firefighters that showed up there, the flames had a different colour to them which usually is a good indication that an accelerant was used.”

Cpl. Pittman says the structure was badly damaged so trying to get in following the fire to sift through the charred remains for evidence was next to impossible. “And between our investigator and the fire department, they deemed it necessary to knock most of the walls down because they felt it was going to fall down,” he added. “So that’s what we’re left with. And then the snow came and didn’t make it much easier.”

The snow Cpl. Pittman refers to is a storm that passed through Yarmouth later on New Year’s Day, dumping 33 centimetres of snow.

Anyone with information that could aid the RCMP in its arson investigation can contact the town detachment at 902-742-8777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).

The property at 10 Lewis Ave. had become a symbol in the news of a housing crisis that had hit Yarmouth County over the past year as it was revealed it was one of many properties that had carried a mortgage in the hundreds of thousands of dollars – which far exceeded the property’s value. At one point in 2008 when the property's mortgaged was reassigned, it was listed at $399,158.