Released after July arson

The man who walked down Harvey Avenue lighting bushes on fire during the province’s worst wildfire season on record will be released from custody, after he was sentenced to time already served on Wednesday.

Colin Reed was arrested on July 30, 2017 after several people called 911 and reported seeing a man walking down the highway lighting several fires.

Upon his arrest, the 21-year-old homeless man was emaciated and appeared to be under the influence of a substance.This was not Reed’s first encounter with the law that week.

On July 25, he had been arrested for taking apart a fence with bolt cutters near Orchard Park Mall and after he was released, he was found the next day doing the same thing near the Parkinson Recreation Centre.

On both occasions, he was found with copper wire and other metal inside a shopping cart.

Several days later, multiple people spotted Reed lighting bushes on fire along Harvey Avenue, just east of Spall Road. 

Wednesday, Reed's lawyer claimed he had been attempting to cut down several metal signs with a welding torch, and the bushes had been lit accidentally.

While Reed's lawyer characterized the arson as being on the less severe range of arsons, Justice Ellen Burdett disagreed.

“I think there had been no rain for at least two months, conditions were tinder dry, and there were forest fires all over British Columbia,” Justice Burdett said.

“I'm sure it was the prompt response of concerned citizens and the Kelowna Fire Department that stopped this thing in its tracks and prevented it from spreading and causing enormous amounts of damage ... the potential involved was extremely serious.”

Reed had no prior criminal record before the events in July, but he and his father had recently lost their housing, and both had become homeless.

Reed’s lawyer painted a picture of a tough childhood for the young man, who spent much of his youth in foster care.

He was described as having low cognition that was made worse when he suffered a head injury skateboarding when he was 14 years old.

Since he has been incarcerated, Reed has gained back 40 pounds he had lost while living on the street and he is now back on his medication that helps him with several mental health issues.

Reed's biological father was in court Wednesday, and told Justice Burdett that Reed would be able to stay at his cousin's home for the next two weeks until he's able to secure a two-bedroom apartment with the help of the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society.

Justice Burdett accepted the Crown and defence's joint submission and sentenced Reed to seven months of incarceration, which Reed was given enhanced presentence credit for. He was also given two years of probation that Justice Burdett said would help with Reed's rehabilitation and with protecting the public.