The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says it’s looking into a fire at an encampment around 200 Street and Highway 1 in Langley after one person died Thursday morning.
The Langley RCMP says it responded to reports of the fire shortly before 5 a.m.
Mounties say they were working with fire crews and the BC Coroners Service after one person was found dead.
IHIT was deployed late Thursday afternoon, but police said they were not yet treating the death as suspicious. In an update Friday, IHIT confirmed to 1130 NewsRadio that it had taken over and would be investigating the incident as a homicide.
“We don’t believe the incident to be random,” said IHIT Sgt. Freda Fong, adding that she was unable to provide any more details.
“With arson scenes, as well as outdoor scenes, it is a little bit complicated because we might not know what we’re looking for.”
The right lane of the 200 Street offramp remains blocked Friday. Fong could not provide a timeline for the lane to clear.
Anyone who was in the area between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning with dashcam footage or information to share is asked to contact IHIT.
—With files from Sonia Aslam and Jack Morse