Police look to identify suspicious man seen before the Maple Mountain fire

North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are actively investigating the cause of the forest fire on Maple Mountain that has been burning since Wednesday. Police received reports of a suspicious male who was behaving erratically in the area of Maple Mountain and Osborne Bay Road between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the day the fire started. Any witnesses who may have observed the suspect or any other suspicious activity in the Maple Mountain area around the time of the fire are asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). As of Friday evening, the Maple Mountain fire was contained, but an evacuation alert continues for the homes east of Osborne Bay Road from Herd Road to Tatlo Road West as a precaution. The Maple Mountain fire is within the Maple Bay fire department jurisdiction, though the BC Wildfire Service is assisting with firefighters and helicopters. The Municipality of North Cowichan is continuing to update residents on the fire’s status online.