Men face arson charges in 16 Cape Breton fires
'We've had somebody charged with one, or maybe two incidents, but not 16,' says officer
Cape Breton police have charged two men with arson related to 16 different fires.
A 49-year-old from North Sydney faces 12 counts of arson, and a 24-year-old from Bras d'Or faces 16 charges, Cape Breton Regional Police spokesman Staff Sgt. Paul Muise said Thursday evening.
Mostly boarded up, abandoned buildings were lit on fire around Florence and Bras d'Or communities since the start of the summer, he said.
"We have our fires. It's not unusual. I think the unusual thing is actually [having] caught two people," Muise said.
"We've laid arson charges in the past, but it might have been we've had somebody charged with one, or maybe two incidents, but not 16."
No criminal record
A couple seasonal properties were also affected, he said. No one was hurt in any of the 16 fires.
"It just goes to show you if you think you've seen it all, there's always something that happens that shows you haven't," Muise said.
Neither of the men charged have a criminal record or were known to police, he said.
Police still investigating
They were brought into custody Thursday, and were charged after being interrogated. Now each are due in Sydney Provincial Court Friday morning.
They're being held overnight at the Cape Breton Correctional Facility until then.
Police are continuing to investigate other suspicious fires in the area, said Musie.