(Update: July 7, 2023): A 35-year-old Nanaimo man has been charged in connection with a string of fires set along the Parkway Trail on Tuesday.

Kevin Macey-Gerard was arrested at the time of the fires and held in police custody.

A judicial bail hearing was held on Thursday, and Macey-Gerard was formally charged with one count of arson and mischief.

One additional charge of Break and Enter was also laid. This charge is unrelated to the fires and stems from an incident in south Nanaimo that occurred on June 15, 2023.

He has been remanded into police custody to await his next court appearance, set for July 11, 2023 in Nanaimo Provincial Court.

(Original story: July 5, 2023):

A man has been arrested in connection to multiple fires that were deliberately set along the Nanaimo Parkway. 

According to the RCMP, the fires were first reported at 11:55 am on Tuesday July 4, 2023, near the intersection of Northfield Road and the Nanaimo Parkway. 

Police and Fire crews responded to multiple reports from witnesses that an unknown man had been seen setting fires along the walking trail parallel to the road.

While fire crews were dealing with the fires, numerous officers went looking for the suspect. Just before 12:30 pm yesterday, he was located and taken into police custody.

“Due to the extremely dry and windy conditions, not all of the fires have been contained, which has resulted in a portion of the southbound lanes being closed,” said R/Cst. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP. 

“Investigators are extremely thankful for the information provided by witnesses that ultimately lead to the timely arrest of a suspect. Police however, need to speak to these individuals to find out exactly what they saw,” said O’Brien.

There are no reports of any injuries or structures being damaged from the fires.
 
If you are a witness to the fires that were set or you have dashcam video from 11:45 am to 12:30 pm on July 4, 2023 of the affected area, please call the Nanaimo RCMP.