Kamloops woman arrested, charged in Highway 97 arson fires

KAMLOOPS — RCMP have charged a Kamloops woman in a series of arson fires between Kamloops and Falkland.

Angela Elise Cornish, 42, is facing four counts of arson and is being held in custody pending a bail hearing on Monday (May 16).

RCMP were alerted to a suspicious vehicle on a forest service road near Monte Lake on April 30. The vehicle was discovered by a person investigating smoke coming from the hills. The witness reported the license plate to RCMP.

Three days later, after a series of suspicious fires and a warning from the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), several other residents along the Highway 97 corridor between Kamloops and Falkland reported encounters with the vehicle to police.

Cornish was arrested on Wednesday as the result of a joint investigation between RCMP and BCWS.

“I wish to acknowledge the tremendous assistance of the Monte Lake and Westwold residents, who provided our investigators with the valuable information we needed to successfully advance this investigation,” said Chief Superintendent Brad Haugli of Southeast District RCMP in a news release. “This is yet another example of the outstanding collective efforts within the BC RCMP to quickly mobilize and secure evidence in support of prosecution. I would like to highlight the exceptional work of BC Wildfire Service throughout this investigation. We also appreciate the close working relationship we enjoy with the BC Prosecution Service.”

“This spring an area of interest was identified near Kamloops, BC due to several human-caused wildfires on Crown Land that were suspected incendiary in nature,” added BCWS Wildfire Enforcement Superintendent Lisa Hudema.

“Due to the close working relationship between the RCMP and BC Wildfire Service, coupled with the serious nature of these fires, resources were quickly deployed to this priority investigation. BC Wildfire Service Provincial Fire Origin and Cause Investigators are jointly investigating these fires with the RCMP Southeast District General Investigation Section. Once the investigation into the origin and cause of these wildfires are completed, a report will be provided to the RCMP that will support their investigation. The report will not be released to the public until the RCMP’s investigation is complete.”

Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity in their neighbourhood is asked to contact RCMP.