SPRINGHILL, N.S. - A 26-year-old Springhill man is facing several charges in relation to a fire that destroyed the former Lamp Cabin Dining Room and Lounge on Aug. 3.
Donald Forbes, 26, of Springhill has been charged with arson, break and enter, two counts of possession of stolen property and one count of unsafe storage of a firearm.
Two 17-year-old youths, both from Springhill, have been charged with break and enter and arson. They cannot be named under Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“This is good news and hopefully brings some relief to the people of Springhill amid the uncertainty over this and other fires in the community,” Cpl. Jennifer Clarke of the Nova Scotia RCMP said. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction in the investigation of these and the other fires that have taken place and we hope it encourages others to come forward with information they may have on some of the other fires in the community.”
The Springhill Fire Department responded to the fire at 4:30 a.m. and notified the RCMP a short time later that it was suspicious in nature. Subsequent investigation led police to search a home in Springhill on Sept. 4 where evidence was discovered and one person was arrested.
The other two people were arrested later the same day and all have been charged with offences relating to this incident.
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Forbes appeared in Amherst Provincial Court on Sept. 5 and was released on conditions. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 1.
The two youth were released to their guardians on conditions and are scheduled to appear in Amherst Youth Justice Court on Dec. 5.
The RCMP is continuing its investigation into this incident and charges against another adult male may be pending.
A series of fires in Springhill and other parts of Cumberland County had people on edge. Following the fire at the Lamp Cabin, the county’s fire services coordinator Mike Carter said there have been more fires involving abandoned buildings already in 2018 than there were in all of 2017 and in 2016, while the number of wildland fires, at 71, is also higher.
