The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
CBC's The National aired a heart-wrenching piece Monday night on the death of a Vancouver mother and three of her children. They were killed in a suspicious fire that devoured their townhouse. The deadly inferno, authorities believe, was the act of an arsonist. Though this tragedy struck three provinces to the west, it carries special significance here. Last Sunday saw at least the second suspicious Ð and potentially deadly Ð structural blaze in the downtown area over the past month. It seems that someone, for reasons known only to him or her, deliberately set a Second Avenue garage ablaze. The flames became so colossal and powerful that when firefighters arrived, siding on a neighbour's house had melted. It wouldn't have taken much for the beast to spread to that home and, from there, others nearby. The community was also lucky last month when no one was hurt Ð or worse Ð during an arson at a Bellevue Avenue apartment. In that incident, someone actually broke into an abandoned suite to start it ablaze while neighbouring apartments were occupied. Whether they intended or not Ð and let's hope it's the latter Ð these unidentified arsonists are putting lives at risk. Is it going to take a death of a child asleep in his or her home for these culprits to wake up? Or do they even care about the implications of their actions? To think that the possibility of killing other human beings is not enough of a deterrent is a frightening thought indeed. Worst-case scenarios aside, we all pay for arson in one way or another. For some, it might be the fear that their property will be targeted next. Insurance rates are impacted by such stupidity, not only in Flin Flon, but across the nation. Arson also costs taxpayers, who foot the bill every time our firefighting forces are called into action. Deliberate bush fires are another form of arson, but, as Fire Chief Jim Petrie stresses, should never be taken lightly. The potential implications of a bush fire can be just as serious as those involving homes or garages. We're still talking about an unpredictable force of nature. The recent bush fire lit between Manitoba Avenue and Dominion Boulevard, for instance, could have gotten out of control. It's not paranoia to think that had the wind been blowing in the right direction or had the fire not been reported early, nearby homes could have caught fire. It may be a new concept for some residents to keep their eyes peeled for Ð and alert the authorities of Ð suspicious characters in their neighbourhood. But in this day and age, it's an absolute must. If arsonists strike again, we may not be so lucky. Local Angle runs Fridays.
