No suspects yet in Kamloops Red Bridge arson investigation

The Red Bridge arson is one of the top priorities for Kamloops RCMP, but there are no suspects so far despite early progress in the investigation.

That according to detachment commander Supt. Jeff Pelley who spoke to a Kamloops council committee, Sept. 26.

Pelley said the investigation still in early stages, but investigators from multiple sections, including forensics and the police dog unit, have made "significant progress" so far.

"We have yet to fully identify a suspect, but we are confident this is an arson, and it remains one of the highest priorities in our detachment," he said.

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Asking for an update on the investigation a week after the 88-year-old bridge's destruction, counsellor Katie Neustaeter said the fire also highlighted wider concern about crime in the city more generally.

"I think our community is properly outraged, and it also speaks to this discomfort with the level of crime that's in the community," Coun. Neustaeter said.

Pelley was presenting this year's second-quarter crime statistics and sharing some details about the detachment's work during that time period.

This past summer, Kamloops earned the title of Canada's crime capital when compared to other cities of 100,000 people or more, according to Statistics Canada.

READ MORE: 'Crime capital' title both inaccurate and an opportunity for Kamloops officials

Although officials have explained away the title as unfairly pitting a relatively small Kamloops against much large centres like Vancouver and Calgary, skewing statistics, Coun. Neustaeter voiced concerned for the city's reputation.

"I think how we talk about our community matters. How we talk about safety in our community matters," she said. "While we might not all stand up and wail at the top of our lungs and point fingers and blame, I think there is a general consensus that there's a lot of concern about how trends are going right now and reputation concerns."

While comparing Kamloops to other cities may be difficult in an effort to fairly gauge the scale of local crime, statistics have shown what appears to be a worsening trend in Kamloops alone for the past several years.

The Red Bridge fire, meanwhile, has since picked up national media attention.

READ MORE: 'Huge loss': Replacement of historic Kamloops Red Bridge destroyed by fire uncertain

Police haven't yet confirmed whether the first fire that scorched the bridge supports, Sept. 17, is related, but Coun. Neustaeter said it looks as though someone returned to "finish the job" two days later.

The damage from that first fire forced the bridge's closure for a day, but it was reopened the next morning after an inspection. Firefighters were called to the Red Bridge again just after 3 a.m., Sept. 19. It was fully engulfed by the time they arrived and the first of three spans fell into the South Thompson within minutes.

The fire was restricted to the middle sections of the bridge, with no fires on the shoreline. It continued to smoulder for days after, and the site remains closed as crews juggle the cleanup with the salmon run underway.