A man allegedly set fire to the mammoth statue at the Royal Bay Beach and damaged the Beachlands sign and nearby stairs with a hatchet, West Shore RCMP says.
Greg Chow, Colwood’s assistant fire chief, tells CHEK News the department was called out at 7:30 a.m. Monday for the fire.
“The mammoth statue was set ablaze. We attended, and we quickly extinguished the fire,” Chow said.
“It was out within probably 10-15 minutes, and we were just on scene for the additional 25 minutes to ensure that it was fully extinguished.”
West Shore RCMP says officers were called to the scene by the fire department for a man who was experiencing a mental health crisis and had set fire to the statue.
When officers arrived, they were told by witnesses that the man had left the area on foot and was in possession of a hatchet. Witnesses also said he damaged the stairs and the Beachlands sign with the hatchet.
Officers found the 41-year-old man and are holding him in custody to attend court in the afternoon.
Police have recommended charges of arson causing damage to property and mischief over $5,000.
Police estimate the damage amounts to approximately $30,000 to $40,000.
Since the mammoth statue is in a sandy area, Chow says there was no risk that it would spread further, however, he says the fire danger rating in Colwood is extreme so he urges caution.
“We just want to make sure people are aware that it is summertime and we are at extreme, so please use due diligence when they’re transversing the public areas,” Chow said.
