Fire that destroyed fishing boat, truck in Charlotte County was arson: RCMP

RCMP in Charlotte County said a fire that destroyed a truck and a fishing boat in Back Bay was set by arson.

Eastern Charlotte Fire Chief Justin Johnston said Thursday that a truck and a fishing boat were a complete loss after a fire in the community, 12 kilometres south of St. George. In a press release Friday, St. George RCMP asked for the public's help to locate a person of interest in what they said was an arson.

Johnston said that just after 3:30 a.m., crews responded to reports of a vehicle fire near the wharf and found a half-ton truck and a fishing vessel "fully involved."

After crews from two fire engines began tackling both fires, smoke was detected at a nearby building, Johnston said, and another truck began responding to the fire there. A fourth engine was dispatched for control.

"The scene took about an hour, hour and a half to get under control," Johnston said. "The boat had let go from the wharf and was towed out past the wharf to prevent any further boats catching on fire, or the wharf."

After the building and truck fires were out, they turned back to the boat, Johnston said, and doused it in foam. He said crews were clear from the scene at 1:40 p.m.

Both the truck and boat were lost, he said, and the building, owned by Kelly Cove Salmon, suffered minor fire and smoke damage. The RCMP said another boat was also damaged in the fire, and there was no report of injuries.

Police released a photo Friday of a man they say is a person of interest related to an arson at the Back Bay wharf Thursday morning.

The RCMP said Friday their identification services unit and the fire marshal's office are helping with the investigation.

Police said that the investigation determined that the fire "had been individually set by one individual," who left on foot before police were on scene.

Police released a surveillance photo of a "person of interest," who they said was wearing rubber boots, jeans, a black hooded jacket and gloves.

Only the building was owned by Kelly Cove Salmon, a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture, according to Joel Richardson, Cooke's vice president of public relations. Richardson declined further comment, citing the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the incident was asked to contact St. George RCMP at 506-755-1130, or submit tips anonymously through Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the secure P3 Mobile App, or at www.crimenb.ca.

Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal