Police have arrested a woman who allegedly lit two fires north of Enderby on Saturday.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP received a report of a person lighting brush fires along Highway 97A near Danforth Road May 28, shortly after 7 p.m.
Witnesses at the scene attempted to extinguish the fires while at the same time keeping track of the suspect until the arrival of police.
“This woman was walking around starting fires,” said witness Syliva Voets, who saw the smoke from further away as she was driving.
Officers immediately responded to the scene and arrested the suspect without incident.
“Thanks to the quick action of these members of the public, our officers were able to quickly locate and arrest the suspect,” media relations officer Const. Chris Terleski said. “Also, there’s no doubt their efforts helped contain the fire and prevent its spread until fire crews could respond and extinguish them, preventing any significant property damage.”
The suspect, a 44-year-old Kelowna woman, remains in custody until her next scheduled court appearance on June 1 in Salmon Arm.
This is the second time in less than a month that a woman has been arrested for allegedly starting fires. A 42-year-old woman from Kamloops has been charged with four counts of arson in connection with fires near Westwold and other areas on April 30.
READ MORE: Woman charged in connection with multiple wildfires east of Kamloops
READ MORE: Text alerts for toxic drugs now available in Interior Health
@VernonNews
newsroom@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
