Twillingate man charged with arson in string of suspicious fires
Fire that destroyed Ashbourne House is not connected to investigation
A Twillingate man has been arrested after an investigation into a string of 14 suspicious fires in the community over the spring and summer.
The RCMP arrested a 34-year-old man Tuesday and charged him with three counts of arson, according to a police press release Wednesday.
The investigation involved a series of fires that happened in Twillingate between May and September, and additional RCMP resources were called in to assist in the investigation.
The areas targeted included wooded areas and abandoned buildings. No one was injured in the fires, but one fire required a water bomber's help, Twillingate fire Chief Craig Clarke said in July, and in the hot conditions two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion.
Clarke also said most of the fires happened on warm, sunny days in isolated areas, with quad or dirt bike tracks leading away from the scene. Many of the fires involved brush and trees, but in one case three sheds caught fire, and in another, an old school was involved.
The RCMP said in its release that the fire that destroyed the historic Ashbourne House in Twillingate on Sept. 11 is not connected to this arrest, and the investigation into that fire continues.