No criminal charges will be laid in connection to last fall’s massive fire on Columbia Street.
Two of the downtown’s prominent heritage buildings were destroyed when fire gutted the 1904 E.L. Lewis Block (also known as the Crescent Block) and the 1899 Hambley Block in the 600 block of Columbia Street on Oct. 10, 2013.
A press release from the New Westminster Police Department states that numerous police resources were involved in assisting New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services with a large structure fire. Following the fire, the police department’s major crime unit, assisted by the forensic identification section and the New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services, were tasked with conducting a thorough investigation to determine both the cause of the fire and whether it had been started as a result of the commission of any criminal offence.
“The major crime unit has now completed this investigation; however, they were unable to conclusively determine the cause of the fire,” states a press release from the police department. “Based on this determination, the criminal investigation has been concluded and no criminal charges are forthcoming.”
