‘It is safe to say there was some bad intention there,’ says assistant fire chief as one man arrested at scene
Vancouver firefighters were called to a potentially explosive situation on Sunday evening after a van full of gasoline containers was set ablaze outside city hall.
According to assistant chief Walter Pereira of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, it happened on the 12th Avenue frontage of Vancouver city hall at around 6 p.m.
He said that when firefighters arrived there was a man sitting close by who appeared to be connected to the blaze.
“The van was fully involved and there seemed nothing unusual,” Pereira said. However, when firefighters got close they noticed the van contained several five-gallon pails full of gasoline.
“At the point the fire was upgraded to a hazmat.”
The fire was fully extinguished shortly after and it was confirmed around 100 litres of unburned gas remained inside the vehicle.
A Vancouver Police Department spokesperson said that a suspected arsonist was arrested at the scene.
“The arsonist has been arrested and nobody was hurt. This appears to be an isolated incident and we believe the suspect acted alone. His motivation is unknown at this time,” the spokesperson said.
West 12th Avenue between Cambie Stret and Yukon Street remained closed to traffic as of 8 p.m.