A commercial building fire in Parksville caused extensive damage in the early hours of Thursday morning.
At around 6 a.m. a structural fire was reported in the 100 block of Memorial Avenue in downtown Parksville.
According to Oceanside RCMP, the fire was determined to have originated in an unoccupied two-storey office building.
The building suffered extensive interior and exterior damage but no surrounding buildings were damaged.
The Oceanside RCMP General Investigation Section and an RCMP fire investigator are currently investigating the cause but their preliminary determination is that the fire was set deliberately.
Parksville Fire Chief Marc Norris told Victoria Buzz the fire appears to have originated from the rear of the building, however the investigation has not determined that for sure.
“If anyone has any information about this fire or has dash cam or video surveillance from the area around 6:00 a.m. this morning, investigators would like to speak with you,” said RCMP Sergeant, Shane Worth.
“Fire crews and police are still working in the area and the public is asked to respect the temporary closures and barriers that are currently in place.”
Fire Chief Norris said the highway is once again open through Parksville but Memorial Avenue is still closed to the public for the time being.
