Burnaby Hospital fire anniversary: Police release new video of arson suspect, appeal for tips from the public

November 15, 2021 - Burnaby, British Columbia
From: Burnaby RCMP

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Burnaby RCMP has released new video of a suspected arsonist who is believed to have started a significant fire at Burnaby Hospital one year ago today, in hopes the public may be able to assist in identifying the man.   

The newly released surveillance video shows a man walking outside Burnaby Hospital and then inside a hospital elevator during the evening hours of November 15, 2020. Both videos were taken before the fire was started that night inside the hospital’s Cascade Building.   

Burnaby RCMP can now confirm the man in the video is a suspect in the case and is believed to have been the person who started the fire. A still image of the same man was released to the public in 2020, but at the time it was not known what role, if any, the man had played in the fire.  

Burnaby RCMP has taken the investigative step of releasing the surveillance video in hopes of generating tips from the public that may help identify the suspect seen in the footage.  

 “We believe the public may be key in helping solve this crime, which caused millions of dollars in damage,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP.  

“We are asking everyone to take a close look at this video and to contact police if they have any information on this suspect or this arson. We want to hear from anyone with any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, as even a small tip may be important to this investigation,” Cpl. Kalanj said.  

Over the past year, more than 50 Burnaby RCMP officers have assisted with the Burnaby Hospital arson investigation, reviewing more than 1,500 hours of video footage.  

“Significant resources have been put into solving this crime over the past year, but we now need the public’s help to identify this suspect,” said Burnaby RCMP investigator, Cpl. Andrew Coupe. “If you have information or saw anything suspicious around the time of this arson, please reach out to us. Our investigators want to hear from you.” 

Burnaby RCMP has set up a special phone tip line and email address to receive tips about the arson and suspect.  

Anyone with information is asked to call 604-646-9522 (not an anonymous tip line), or email bghfire@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. 

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