Remains found after tent encampment fire 'could take weeks' to identify, police say

The remains of two people found after a Monday afternoon fire at a tent encampment on Paradise Row "could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks," to identify, said acting Staff Sgt. Matthew Weir with the Saint John Police Force.  

The fire was reported at 3:41 p.m. in a grassy wooded area along the side of the busy four-lane thoroughfare in the north end. It was only once the tent was extinguished that police discovered there were two bodies inside, Weir said. 

The cause of Monday's fire is under investigation.

In January, 44-year-old Evan MacArthur died after the makeshift shelter where he was staying, near the Main Street Viaduct over Route 1, caught fire. In February, several people escaped without injuries after their tent was deliberately set fire by a passing motorist at an encampment on Waterloo Street. 

Weir said whether the victims on Monday's fire will be identified using fingerprints, DNA, or dental records will "depend on the condition of the remains that were found."

WATCH | Saint John police respond to questions about fatal fire:

Saint John police give update on fatal tent fire — but with few details

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Acting Staff Sgt. Matthew Weir says the identities of the two fire victims haven't been established.

Police declined to say whether the bodies were male or female.

The fire is under investigation by the major crime unit, which Weir said is called "to any file involving a death to investigate, to speak to witnesses, help determine what had happened and caused the death. They work together in a case like this with the Saint John Fire Department, the coroner's office and our forensic identification services unit."

Weir said police regularly interact with residents of encampments and encourage them to keep safe.

"Whenever we deal with these people on the day-to-day, we encourage them to utilize the resources that we have in the city for for homeless people," Weir said. 

The area remained cordoned off with police tape on Tuesday afternoon. 

Police are asking anyone with surveillance video or information to contact the Saint John Police Force at 1-506-648-3333, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or 1-800-222-T.I.P.S.