After trestle bridge fire, Mayerthorpe RCMP investigating more suspicious blazes

Smoke can be seen rising from a major fire in the Mayerthorpe area on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Courtesy: Jim McCullough

RCMP in Mayerthorpe said investigators had been busy after a fire destroyed a trestle bridge on the edge of town earlier in the week, as a number of other suspicious fires had been reported.

Back on Tuesday, April 26, the CN trestle bridge near Mayerthorpe was destroyed in a fire - a blaze now considered suspicious.

In the days since that fire, Mayerthorpe RCMP said officers had responded to a number of suspicious fires – going as far as to call in services from CN Police, and help from RCMP in Edmonton and Whitecourt, in their investigations.

Police didn’t say exactly how many fires were under investigation, but Mayerthorpe Mayor Kate Patrick told CTV News three fires were reported Thursday night: two spot fires west of the exhibition centre and another on the agricultural grounds, in addition to a structure fire in an empty building.

On Friday, Patrick said a fire was reported in the river valley north of Main Street.

The mayor said all of those fires were under investigation.