Suspect arrested after four arsons at same Digby County cabin

RCMP in Digby County have charged one person after an apparently inept arsonist tried four times to burn down a building in St. Joseph.

Police say that between Jan. 19 and 28 they responded to four different reports of attempted arson at a camp on Patrice Road, where someone had broken into the building four times and tried to start a fire.

The last two attempts were on Jan. 28, said Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc of the Meteghan RCMP office. The second was at 9:40 p.m., but people who own property in the area were by then patrolling the area and keeping watch and caught a suspect in the act.

“They had folks roaming around the area trying to protect their properties as well,” he said. “(The owners) let us know there was someone around their cabin and we were on our way.”

LeBlanc said the suspect jumped into a Ford Ranger truck and tried to drive off, striking two vehicle driven by area residents.

No one in the vehicles was injured. Police allege that the driver deliberately drove into the vehicles trying to escape.

With the truck blocked in after the collision, the driver jumped out and ran off into the night, but the vehicle occupants were able to provide police with a detailed description.

A few hours later, police received a call from someone on Second Division Road, which intersects with Patrice Road, of a suspicious individual asking people for a ride. His description matched that of the suspect from the earlier incidents, Officers were able to locate him in the area and arrest him.

LeBlanc said its unclear why the arson suspect had so much trouble burning down the cabin,

“That’s a good question,” he said. “There was significant damage to the property, but it never burned to the ground.”

He said the fires were set both inside and outside the cabin but went out on their own.

Craig Mitchell Burns, 30, of Weymouth, has been charged with four counts of arson,, two of mischief, two of breaching a court order, and singles counts of dangerous driving, possession of cocaine, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving without a valid licence plate, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

Burns was remanded into custody after his initial court appearance and will return to Digby provincial court Feb. 20.

LeBlanc said there is no connection between the cabin owners and Burns.

“We’re not sure why he was doing this, that’s one of the things we’re looking into. What was the drive to have this property damaged?”

He said while there have been many fires in the area in recent years tied to fishing disputes, there’s no indication that was factor in the case..