Kamloops man faces four counts of arson related to dumpster fires across city

Photo: Castanet

A suspect is behind bars accused of lighting a string of suspicious fires, police say.

Both the Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) and RCMP frontline officers were called out on Monday night around 10:45 p.m. to an alleyway behind the 400 block of Lansdowne Street for a fire in a garbage dumpster.

An hour later, more dumpster fires were reported and extinguished in alleyways behind Victoria Street.

“The joint investigation by Kamloops police and Kamloops Fire Rescue included members of our General Investigation Support Team, Targeted Enforcement Unit, and frontline officers,” Supt. Jeff Pelley, Kamloops RCMP Officer in Charge said in a press release.

“The rapid response of multiple investigative units and KFR resulted in these fires being quickly extinguished, evidence collected, and a suspect identified and arrested, with charges approved by the BC Prosecution Service."

The suspect was arrested Wednesday evening and held in custody. Police said he appeared in court Friday and was remanded, remaining in custody until his next court appearance, scheduled for May 23, 2023.

William Aaron Lamb, 22, of Kamloops, is charged with four counts of arson.

As the matter is now before the courts, police said no further information is available for release.

“We are pleased with the quick progression of this investigation that led to a suspect being taken into custody, and are thankful for the collaborative work done by the teams at Kamloops Fire Rescue and the Kamloops RCMP,” Ken Uzeloc, KFR Fire Chief said.

"Although a suspect has been arrested, it’s important to note that the investigations into other fires throughout the city are still ongoing," Supt. Pelley added.

"Anyone with information related to them is encouraged to please contact police as soon as possible."

Those with information related to the investigations are asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP at (250) 828-3000.