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Castlegar homeless encampment catches fire

The fire was near the railroad tracks

A homeless encampment next to the railroad tracks by Century 21 caught fire Thursday evening.

The Castlegar Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Jan. 26 to the 1700 block of Columbia Avenue.

Before firefighters arrived on scene, bystanders attempted to douse the fire by throwing snow on it.

Fire chief Sam Lattanzio says CFD was able to extinguish the fire in a matter of minutes and contain it to the area of the homeless encampment.

There were no occupants at the site at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

“The homeless camp is located on CPR right-of-way and the CPR Police have been notified,” said Lattanzio.

Local RCMP also attended the site.

An investigation into the fire is ongoing, but Lattanzio says it appears that the cause may have been an “unattended or lack of competent adult present” at a camp fire.

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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com

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Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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