The investigation of a fire that severely damaged four condominiums at Pinnacle Ridge has been handed over to the RCMP, following an investigation by the Office of the Fire Commissioner that suggests the fire was suspicious and may have been deliberately started.
The fire took place on July 9 in a fourplex condominium on the Blackcomb Benchlands. Whistler Fire Rescue Services received the call shortly after noon, and by the time they arrived on the scene the fire had spread through the roof into four units. To battle the blaze, firefighters punched a hole through the roof and sprayed water into the complex.
There were no injuries as a result of the blaze, but damage was initially estimated to be between $2 million and $3 million.
Whistler Fire Rescue Services “uncovered some discrepancies” that led them to believe the fire was suspicious. They called the Office of the Fire Commissioner, which sent an investigator to Whistler to assist local firefighters in determining the cause. After confirming the suspicious circumstances, the specifics of which have not been revealed, the investigator turned the investigation over to the RCMP last week.
That investigation is continuing, according to municipal information officer Diana Waltmann.
