FREDERICTON — New Brunswick RCMP say they unintentionally caused a house fire during a standoff last year. The Mounties say they used a tear-gas canister that ignited after landing inside a home in Kingsclear First Nation in April 2025. An RCMP spokesperson only confirmed the house fire after a media request, as it was not included in a news release at the time. The RCMP statement from 2025 only said the Upper Kingsclear Fire Department and public safety attended the scene. Police say they used the tear gas to draw out a man who had barricaded himself inside the residence and was firing a weapon towards responding officers. The RCMP said last year a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with 16 counts of attempted murder and firing at police. A spokesperson for Kingsclear First Nation declined to comment. The New Brunswick-based Telegraph-Journal newspaper was the first to report on the RCMP’s new comments about what caused the house fire. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2026. Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press
