A 50-year-old North Bay man is facing arson charges in connection to a downtown main street fire that took place back on July 22.
Robert Atkinson, age 50, of North Bay is facing the arson charge at police allege that shortly after midnight on July 22, 2020 the Fire Department and emergency services responded to a fire at 333 Main Street East.
See related: Firefighters contain downtown garbage bin fire
Police say the fire origin was a garbage can on fire which engulfed the front door of the building. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze leaving minimal damage.
Due to the nature of the fire, North Bay Police initiated an arson investigation. The investigation led to the arrest of the accused on July 30.
“There is an excellent working relationship between our police and the North Bay Fire and Emergency Services in keeping our community safe," said Scott Tod, North Bay's Police Chief in a release.
"The North Bay Fire Department's Emergency Services prompt response contained a dangerous situation and our officers conducted a thorough investigation resulting in an arrest. I also encourage the public to work with and support the police as we remain committed to preventing and investigating crimes to keep our community safe.”
The accused currently remains in custody pending a bail hearing.
