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Review
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Vol.17
Number 25
Thursday, June 18, 2015
$1.15 including GST
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
Suspicious fire guts vacant restaurant Tara Bowie Review Staff
It’s unclear where an investigation into a fire that destroyed a vacant building that housed a restaurant and guest suites will lead. The early morning blaze Monday that completely destroyed the Riverbed Bistro on 6th Avenue marks the third time firefighters have attended that location in four years. Cpl. Sean Hall from the Keremeos detachment said police are deeming the fire suspicious. “We are considering the fire suspicious and are investigating,” he wrote in an email to the Review Monday afternoon. The scene of the fire at 630- 6th Avenue was left unsecured overnight Monday. All that prevents people from accessing the site is plastic red tape that reads, “Danger Do Not Enter.” As listed in the Keremeos tax roll, the owner of the property is numbered company 0961380 BC Ltd. The numbered company was incorporated in February 2013. Keremeos Fire Chief Jordy Bosscha said the structure, which is located across the street from the fire hall, had to be taken down with an excavator for safety reasons and so volunteer crews were not on scene all day Monday dousing hot spots. In addition to being chief of the fire department Bosscha is also the local representative of the Office of the Fire Commissioner. He does not possess equipment to complete testing at the site and doesn’t think any will be done unless an insurance claim is made. It’s unknown if the current owner has insurance. Testing might also be undertaken pending police investigation. “Being as there is no security on scene, it’s not secure, there would be no value in anything found there now. Who knows who’s been at the site doing what overnight,” he said. The fire was called in at about 3:30 a.m. No injuries were reported. It’s been reported that neighbours
heard glass smashing at the site several hours earlier. “It’s unfortunate. I think it was burning for quite sometime,” he said. When Keremeos firefighters arrived on scene heavy black smoke was billowing out of the building on the upper and lower floor. “Within minutes after we arrived on scene the second floor exploded into flames. About a half hour after first arriving the roof and the second floor collapsed,” he said. After gearing up and hustling across the street, Bosscha said he knew the building was not safe to enter and that crews would be working to keep neighbouring properties safe and get the fire out as soon as possible. Fifteen members of the Keremeos department battled the blaze. Four members of the Kaleden fire department attended under the mutual aid agreement. The fire was deemed out at about 7:30 a.m. “Special thanks to Kaleden Fire Department, Fortis Power, Fortis Gas, RCMP and BCAS for their quick response and assistance,” Bosscha said. The Riverbed Bistro has been burned by fire before. A failed attempt to set the building on fire occurred in May 2011 when Submitted Photos former owner Inderjit Chema used a The Riverbed Bistro was completely destroyed by fire in a blaze early Monday morning. small jerry can to dump $10 worth of gas on the walls of the building and threatened to light it up. Although unsuccessful Chema was still charged with arson along with damage to own property, assault and uttering threats. He received a suspended sentence and 18 months strict probation. Last reported Chema was running a restaurant with his wife in Surrey. Almost three years later on February 1, 2014 a fire ripped through the top floor of the building. That fire was deemed suspicious but no charges were ever laid. The facade of the second floor was eventually rebuilt in spring 2014 but the business remained unopened Tara Bowie until Monday’s fire completely The Riverbed Bistro was reduced to rubble by a fire that broke out sometime in the early hours of Monday morning. The fire has been deemed suspicious and is under investigation. destroyed the building.