BURNT DOWN HOMES BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DRUG HOUSES

Fire investigators are still looking into the cause of two late-night
fires earlier this month that destroyed a pair of abandoned homes
believed to have been drug houses.

The Lac La Biche fire chief and RCMP suspect arson in the two house
fires, considering the homes went up in flames only three hours apart
on Sept. 7. Police are further saying drug-related criminal activity
was known to have taken place in both homes.

The first fire was reported around 9:30 p.m. to a home on 102 Avenue,
only a block away from the fire hall.

The blaze caused significant damage to the kitchen area of a small
home east of Fountain Tire, and took firefighters nearly three hours
to extinguish. A few minutes after the fire was put out, the Lac La
Biche Fire Department was dispatched to a second fire to an abandoned
home on 101 Avenue.

Fire Chief Curtis Stuparyk said the second blaze caused more damage.
By the time firefighting efforts had ended, the home was close to gutted.

The home is across the street from the burned down Flintstone's
Family Restaurant. The popular Lac La Biche eatery was completely
destroyed by arson last November after it was discovered someone had
deliberately set the outside garbage bins at the rear of the
restaurant on fire. RCMP have not made any arrests in connection with the fire.

The Lac La Biche Fire Department and RCMP are still waiting for the
fire investigator's report into what caused this month's two house
fires. Anyone with information on who may have started the two fires
is asked to call the Lac La Biche RCMP at 780-623-4380 or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.