the OPP
On Sunday around 10:45 p.m., Rainy River District OPP officers responded to a report of a group of kids setting fire to a vehicle in the area of Crowe Avenue here.
When the call came in, police were told the kids responsible for setting the fire ran away from the scene, fleeing west on Fourth Street East.
When officers arrived, they located a pulp truck parked on the 900 block of Crowe Avenue.
A small fire was burning on the very back of the empty trailer.
Police extinguished the blaze with their fire extinguisher and fortunately there was no damage to the trailer.
Officers then canvassed the neighbours as part of their investigation in their attempt to identify the person(s) responsible for the fire.
An investigation into the cause of the fire revealed a paper source was used to ignite the flames.
The burned contents led police to believe the paperwork may have come from inside the Rainy Lake Hotel.
The OPP contacted the Fort Frances Fire Department and both agencies attended the building.
Police confirmed the building was insecure, and there was evidence of someone gaining access to the building on the second and third floors.
Cinder blocks had been piled up on the first-floor roof in order to gain access via the fire escape.
Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
