Canadian wildfire arson: Glendon woman charged with 32 counts

Meagan MacEeachern
Lakeland Today
Sun, 04 Jun 2023 20:37 UTC

© HO-Government of Alberta Fire Service

The East side of the Paskwa fire burns in the High Level Forest Area district of Alberta in a May 9, 2023, handout photo.

A Glendon woman has been charged in connection to multiple arsons in the Bonnyville and Lac La Biche areas.

The RCMP Forestry Crimes Unit has charged Audrey Elaine Dunham with 32 counts of arson following an in-depth investigation into a series of suspicious wildfires across the Lakeland.

On April 24, Bonnyville RCMP, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) responded to multiple wildfires northwest of Bonnyville and east of Lac La Biche, within the Forest Protection Area.

The RCMP Forestry Crimes Unit, in collaboration with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, determined the cause of the fires had been arson and identified a suspect.

Roughly one month later, on May 27, local authorities responded to a report of seven wildfires near Hwy. 55 and Hwy. 881 in the MD of Bonnyville.

An investigation led authorities to 54-year-old Dunham.

At the time of her arrest, four wildfires were located nearby with a total of 19 wildfires started over the course of a few hours.

"Public Safety is a shared responsibility and by working together, the Forestry Crimes Unit and their partners can be instrumental in preventing wildfires and promoting public safety. This investigation is the result of a partnership between Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, BRFA, Forestry Crimes Unit and Bonnyville RCMP," said Insp. Pamela Robinson of the RCMP Serious Crimes Branch.

"If the Forestry Crimes Unit can be instrumental in preventing wildfires, and hold those who start the fires accountable, then this investigation is a success."

Comment: Police in Nova Scotia are also looking for arsonists:

As fires burn through the province of Nova Scotia, and other parts of eastern Canada, RCMP officers are on the lookout for arsonists that set some of the blazes.

RCMP in Pictou County, an area northeast of Halifax, are asking for the public's assistance after determining three separate fires were the result of arson.

The targets included a commercial building. It is not clear why the suspect or suspects chose this location.

This comes as the province tackles a series of large wildfires. 10 wildfires are still burning through Nova Scotia at the time of writing.

While a majority of wildfires in the province have not been linked to arsonists, reports of criminals setting fires during a supposed emergency has alarm bells going off.

There is no evidence the arson attacks in either Alberta or Nova Scotia were linked to climate change activists or left-wing extremists, but that possibility cannot be ruled out.

RCMP in Alberta have arrested several suspects in relation to arsons in the province in recent months.

Police officers in Grande Prairie, Alberta are currently on the lookout for at least one suspect in an arson attack that occurred on Jun. 1.

This wildfire season has come hard, and early, in Canada. Something is up.