Two men have been arrested in connection to a fire that badly damaged a dental office in Nanaimo on Saturday, according to the RCMP.
Crews from Nanaimo Fire Rescue were called to the structure fire at 410 Wentworth St., at the corner of Richards Street, around 7:50 p.m. Aug. 19, according to assistant chief Troy Libbus.
He says three fire engines, as well as two trucks, responded to the blaze. The building in the city’s downtown, a former home, is now a dental practice belonging to Dr. Bruce Senini.
The damage is “extensive,” Libbus told CHEK News.
“A front-line police officer while on patrol saw the smoke and flames coming from the building and notified fire crews who responded immediately,” Nanaimo RCMP said Monday.
Libbus says crews arrived on scene quickly, and when they did, the building’s front end was fully involved in flames. He says luckily, no one was injured in the fire. The Nanaimo dental office’s fire alarms were triggered.
Footage posted to Facebook shows the fire and the damage:
Mounties say two men allegedly responsible for the fire were located and arrested a short distance from the scene. As of Monday, the pair remains in police custody with a date in Nanaimo Provincial Court tomorrow, Aug. 22.
“The building has been secured until such time that fire inspectors can safely enter and examine the damage caused by the fire,” added RCMP in a news release.
They say no neighbouring buildings were damaged in the fire.
Anyone with information about the fire who has not yet spoken with police is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
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Ethan Morneau
