Police and fire officials in Kamloops, B.C., are investigating after the city’s Red Bridge was destroyed by flames early Thursday morning.
Witnesses said they were woken by the sound of the fire at the 88-year-old wooden road bridge, which spanned the South Thompson River.
Nearby resident Nevada Woods said she heard what sounded like a tree falling down around 3:30 a.m. PT.
“I looked out my window and I could see two smoke plumes,” Woods said. “You could see a little bit of an orange hue.”
The 88-year-old Red Bridge, which spans the South Thompson River in Kamloops, B.C., was destroyed early Thursday after it was engulfed in flames.
Woods says she walked to a nearby campground less than a kilometre from the bridge and saw the fire growing larger. Then, she said, the bridge fell into the river with a big crash.
“It collapsed entirely into the river,” she said. “All the wood fell into the river, still on fire. There was a big splash, and a big flame.”
Capt. Norm Little with Kamloops Fire Rescue said firefighters were called to the blaze around 3:10 a.m. PT. He confirmed the roadway of the bridge had collapsed into the river.
He said no injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
In a news release, Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said police are investigating the fire as suspicious. Pelley said this is the second fire on the bridge in two days. A small fire on the bridge earlier this week forced a temporary closure.
“[We] will continue to work closely with our fire investigators and Kamloops Fire Rescue partners to establish how the fire began and if criminality was involved,” Pelley said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the fire to contact Kamloops RCMP.
The City of Kamloops said the fire caused a risk of falling and floating debris.
The city asked residents to stay away from the Thompson rivers west of the bridge, and said it had closed Pioneer Park, the Riverside Park pier, and part of Rivers Trail between the two parks. It also closed all city boat launches.
Mark Conte, a longtime Kamloops resident, said he’s not surprised the bridge collapsed. He said the bridge has been in poor condition for years.
“It’s a shame,” he said. “It’s historical. If they put a new bridge up, I’d imagine they would tear this one down.”