Police release new video footage of Burnaby Hospital arson suspect

Burnaby RCMP has released new video footage of a suspected arsonist who is believed to have started a large fire at Burnaby Hospital one year ago today.

The new surveillance footage shows a man walking outside Burnaby Hospital and inside the hospital elevator on the evening of Nov 15, 2020.

A photo of the man in the video was released in 2020. However, at the time, it was unknown if the individual had any involvement in the incident. Investigators are now able to confirm that the man in the video is a suspect and is believed to have started the fire.

Over the past year, over 50 Burnaby RCMP officers have worked on the Burnaby Hospital arson file. Over 1,500 hours of video footage have been reviewed.

The significant damage from the fire resulted in the closure of the hospital’s emergency room and patients and staff had to evacuate the premises. At the time. health officials said they believed the incident also led to subsequent COVID outbreaks at the facility.

Burnaby RCMP is also appealing to the public for any information they may have on identifying the suspect.

“Significant resources have been put into solving this crime over the past year, but we now need the public’s help to identify this suspect,” said Burnaby RCMP investigator Cpl. Andrew Coupe in a release.

“If you have information or saw anything suspicious around the time of this arson, please reach out to us. Our investigators want to hear from you.” 

A special phone tip line and email address have been set up to receive information about the suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to call 604-646-9522 (not an anonymous tip line), or email [email protected].