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UPDATE: Charges laid for man arrested after setting fires

Kelowna RCMP say quick thinking by citizens to alert police resulted in immediate arrest
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UPDATE: Tuesday, 10 a.m.

Colin Reed, 21, has been charged with arson, damaging property and mischief. Reed appeared in court Monday and will remain in custody until his next appearance on Aug. 28.

ORIGINAL:

A quick response by witnesses to alert the Kelowna Fire Dept and Kelowna RCMP, resulted in the immediate arrest of a man who allegedly set fire to areas of landscaped sidewalks along Harvey Avenue on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday just after noon, the Kelowna RCMP received a report that a male was lighting a fire along the landscaped sidewalk near the 1900 block of Harvey.

A 21-year-old man was held in custody and appeared in court on Monday.

Police say witnesses reported a male was setting the fire with blow torch. While on route to the scene, further details were received by RCMP, describing the male and his last known direction of travel. It was reported that he had attempted to set other fires along his route.

The Kelowna Fire Dept who were at the scene of the first fire, flagged down the attending officers to provide the last known location of the suspect.

RCMP officers arrested the 21-year-old male located at a retail outlet at the corner Burtch Rd and Harvey Ave without incident. Mostly landscaping was damaged along with one portable billboard, no structures were affected.

The Kelowna man was held in custody and appeared in Kelowna court on Monday.