Fire victims identified

Photo: CTV

The identities of three people killed in a Nanaimo house fire have been confirmed by a family member.

The bodies of Jason Stephenson, Amberlee Scarr and their seven-year-old daughter, Piper, were retrieved from the laneway home after a fire on Tuesday.

Friends told CTV the couple had recently moved back in together after a dispute over child custody.

RCMP Cpl. Jon Stewart says it's unclear what sparked the fire, but when fire crews arrived the home was in flames.

The serious crime unit is following up with the coroner to determine what caused the deaths.

He says a passerby spotted flames and tried to alert the residents by screaming and banging on the home.

He says there's no indication that the case involves anything more than a fire, but any time the origin of a fire is unknown, investigators treat it as suspicious.

"All our options are on the table. We're still investigating as we would any serious event like this," Stewart said during a news conference.

"An investigation like this does take time because we try take it slow and do it as methodically as possible."

Fire crews and police remained at the scene Wednesday morning, gathering evidence.

– with files from CTV Vancouver Island