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Kamloops man arrested for allegedly setting fire, fighting RCMP

A resident noticed a small fire and doused the flames with a water bottle
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Quick actions of a Kamloops driver stopped a fire from spreading in the Columbia Street and 1st Avenue area of the city.

An off-duty police officer noticed a vehicle pulled over with its hazard lights on about 9 p.m. on Aug. 12. It appears the driver saw a grass fire burning nearby and stopped their vehicle to jump out and douse the flames with a bottle of water.

The driver pointed the off-duty officer in the direction of a man walking down the road who allegedly started the fire.

The officer contacted the Kamloops RCMP Detachment, followed the suspect, then identified himself as a police officer and told the man he was under arrest. The suspect allegedly attempted to flee and resisted arrest. Backup arrived shortly after and the man was taken into custody.

“Thanks to the quick actions of the public the fire was extinguished before it could spread and grow into something much more substantial than what was described as a campfire in size,” said Constable Crystal Evelyn, Kamloops RCMP spokesperson.

Wyatt Alcide Proulx, 32, of Kamloops, is charged with mischief and obstruction of a police officer.

READ MORE: 825,000 hectares have burned as wildfires rage across B.C.’s Interior

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