Potential suspect arrested after Royal Bay mammoth statues destroyed by fire (VIDEO)

Two mammoth statues created at Royal Bay Beach in Colwood were destroyed by fire Monday morning, along with the Beachlands sign.

The fire, which was reported around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, has been deemed suspicious.

In a phone interview, Greg Chow, Colwood’s assistant fire chief, confirmed to Victoria Buzz that an alleged suspect has been arrested by West Shore RCMP.

It was too soon for Chow to comment on the arrest while the investigation was ongoing.

Video captured by Gregg Carmichael shows both the mother and baby sculptures engulfed in flames. It’s too early to confirm if they are salvageable.

In addition, the Beachlands sign and stairs to the area also appeared to have damage. However, Chow said it is too early to confirm if they’re related.

Chow said the sculpture was in the middle of a sandy area, so the fire didn’t spread.

The popular creatures were created in 2017 by driftwood artist Alex Witcombe. Witcombe, who is from Comox Valley, created the pair of mammoths at Royal Bay’s Beachpark and was commissioned for another piece—now known as McGnarly the Beach Ent—as part of Colwood’s Eats and Beats festival.

The mammoths tell the story of a mammoth tooth that was uncovered during Royal Bay’s long history as a gravel pit that operated from about 1910 until 2007.

Victoria Buzz has reached out to West Shore RCMP for more details on the arrest and we will update this story once we hear back.