We are aware of a barge fire in the City of Surrey near the stal̕əw̓asəm (Riverview) Bridge which is producing considerable smoke. We are observing the situation and monitoring air quality. Visit for air quality info but note that readings may not capture… pic.twitter.com/SDPm30mflZ
— MVRD Emergency Services (@metrovanemerg) April 3, 2026
Alberta RCMP have charged two men in connection with the murder of a local dentist, whose body was discovered following a house fire in St. Albert in February.
Firefighters were called to the fire on Keystone Crescent on Feb. 19.
Following the fire, the body of 59-year-old Mai Diab, who has been identified as a local dentist, was discovered inside the home and the RCMP major crimes unit was called in.
Investigators said they came to believe that Diab was specifically targeted for financial gain.
Global News
Thanks to help from members of the public and businesses in the community, the RCMP said they were able to quickly identify possible suspects.
On March 9, officers arrested 44-year-old Edmonton resident Mouhamad Fadi Orfahly and charged him with first-degree murder.
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On March 12, a second suspect, 43-year-old Mahmoud Ali Abdallah Mansour, was arrested in Toronto.
He has been charged with indignity to human remains and being an accessory to murder after the fact. He has been transported back to Alberta.
Both men are being held in custody pending future court appearances.
An online profile says the victim worked at Windermere Pediatric Dentistry.
When contacted by Global News, a voicemail said the business is closed for an undetermined amount of time and all appointments have been cancelled.
Diab’s neighbours in St. Albert said they believe she lived in the area for about a decade, and kept to herself.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
An unknown person has been found dead after a large house fire in Mississauga, Ont., authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Emergency crews were called to the home at Mirage Place and Select Court at around 10:40 p.m. Monday, where the structure was already fully engulfed in flames.
According to officials, multiple callers reported a large explosion from the house before it became fully involved.
Peel Regional Police Const. Tyler Bell said one individual was found dead in the home, although it is not clear yet who the individual is.
“The coroner’s office will be investigating the cause of the death of the individual inside,” Bell said. “If any of those investigations determine criminality, Peel police will then take over the investigation.”
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Police say all known residents of the home have been accounted for and were out of the country at the time of the fire.
“Now we have the difficult task of trying to determine who is the [deceased] individual. We don’t have details like age, gender…. We have no reason to believe anyone should have been in the home that’s associated with the residence at this time,” Bell said.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is leading the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire, which remains unknown.
“This is preliminary,” Jim Demetriou with the Office of the Fire Marshal said. “We are here to find the origin, cause and circumstances around the fire.”
Demetriou said it is too early to determine whether the explosion caused the fire or where in the home the fire started.
Officials say the structure is currently too unstable to allow for a full search.
The Office of the Fire Marshal has called for support, including heavy equipment to assist with debris removal. An engineer is also expected to assess the safety of the building before investigators continue their work.
So far, only one person has been found inside the home, though police say that could change as the search progresses.
There is currently no indication of criminal activity.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
A Kelowna man has been ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for flying a drone during the McDougall Creek wildfire in 2023.
Derek Leippi was sentenced in provincial court Monday after being charged under the Wildfire Act for interfering with a helicopter responding to the fire. He was found guilty on Feb. 9.
He was set to be sentenced on Feb. 24, but Justice Cathaline Heinrich reserved her decision until March 23, saying she needed more time.
The Crown was calling for a $15,000 fine and a public apology.
Leippi, who represented himself, asked for far more leniency with a small fine or no fine at all.
During sentence submissions in February, Leippi told the judge he has already paid a price because the media attention has impacted his professional reputation as a realtor.
The drone incident happened on Aug. 27, 2023 — 10 days after the wildfire erupted.
Leippi was flying his small drone off a boat on Okanagan Lake, near the fire-ravaged Okanagan Lake Resort, to capture footage.
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He previously told court he was unaware that firefighting aircraft were operating in the area until he saw a helicopter arrive to pick up water.
He admitted he made a mistake but added he did not mean to interfere with the emergency response.
While Justice Heinrich did find Leippi’s actions distracted the helicopter pilot for a brief time, she said she took into consideration mitigating factors, including this being Leippi’s first offence and him being cooperative and respectful when authorities approached him on the boat that day.
The judge noted she believes the fine is strong enough in this case to deter others from committing this type of offence.
“I will certainly leave it to the courts to decide how best to respond and in this case, they have responded,” said Ravi Parmar, B.C.’s minister of forests. “I respect the court’s decision.”
But with another wildfire season fast approaching, Parmar had strong words for anyone thinking of flying a drone near wildfires.
Don’t fly your drones and put the lives of British Columbians that are so heroic in fighting those fires on the line,” Parmar said.
“We’ve got pilots. We’ve got people on the ground, boots on the ground, protecting people and communities every single day during wildfire season and for anyone to do the stupid thing of flying a drone, I hope the court holds them accountable.”
Crown was also calling for Leippi to make a public apology but the judge said she accepts the remorse Leippi expressed in court and no further action is necessary.
Leippi appeared in court on video for Monday’s sentencing.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
A fire chief of a Saskatchewan village, representing a group of volunteers that battled some of Saskatchewan’s destructive blazes last summer, says the province’s latest budget is not providing enough funding for proactive measures ahead of this year’s wildfire season.
“They’ve introduced the marshal service, but where’s the funding to increase the fire side of things?” Jim Arnold, fire chief of Candle Lake, told Global News.
In the province’s budget announced Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) will receive $138.5 million, up $19.6 million from the year before.
But for Arnold, who heads a group of around 21 volunteer firefighters, this amount is not enough.
“I would think it would be better if the SPSA were more proactive,” he said. “Doing things like fire breaks around communities, doing things like fuel management.”
In the budget, the province says last year’s wildfire season cost the government $392 million in extra expenses, accounting for the largest portion of the $970 million in over-budget spending.
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Finance Minister Jim Reiter says last year’s wildfire season “was an anomaly,” adding that his government is optimistic it will not happen again.
“But if it does, we’ll respond accordingly,” Reiter said Friday at a luncheon with the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s not like if we need more money, we won’t spend it. We certainly did last year, and if it happens, we will again.”
When asked about proactive wildfire spending, Reiter pointed to an increase in the SPSA’s capital funding as part of a four-year commitment to purchase four repurposed water bombers, adding that one is expected to come onstream this year.
The SPSA unveiled its plans to purchase these airtankers back in April 2024.
The province is also doubling its volunteer first responders tax credit from $3,000 to $6,000.
While Arnold supports this, he says he wanted to see more support for volunteer fire departments dealing with rising equipment costs and the need to meet provincial regulations.
“The cost of a single fire engine is now a million dollars. You know, the cost to outfit one firefighter is pushing $5,000 now,” Arnold said.
The province is also putting $2 million towards replacing infrastructure in parks lost to wildfires.
While Arnold says he does not know how this year’s wildfire season will pan out, his volunteer department is preparing with additional funding from his village’s council.
“The bottom line is, we need help funding fire departments,” he said.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Firefighters responded to a blaze in south Edmonton’s Garneau neighbourhood over the noon hour on Thursday.
Thick, black smoke could be seen across the city from the blaze near 85 Avenue and 108 Street.
The property on fire was an infill property currently under construction.
A large building was under construction on what used to be a post-war single family home.
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The lot was rezoned in 2025 from single-family to allow for medium-scale residential.
What caused the fire and the extent of the damage is not yet known.
Global News has reached out to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services for more information.
A report from the office of British Columbia’s auditor general says the province expected the Village of Lytton to lead its own recovery from the fast-moving wildfire that destroyed most of the community and killed two people in June 2021.
But it says officials with the village in B.C.’s southern Interior were “immediately overwhelmed by the magnitude of devastation” wrought by the fire and lacked the necessary staff and funds, prompting the province to step in.
Still, the auditor’s report says the B.C. government itself didn’t have a comprehensive legal framework to guide disaster recovery at the time.
It says B.C.’s legislation and policies in 2021 were “not sufficient to guide the complex and unprecedented recovery of a whole community.”
The auditor’s report also says B.C.’s Emergency Program Act was “silent” on the role of Indigenous Peoples at the time of the fire, and the lack of collaboration between the village and Nlaka’pamux governing bodies was a “missed opportunity.”
The report released Tuesday notes the B.C. government has since passed new emergency and disaster management legislation, including requirements for local authorities to work with Indigenous governments on emergency plans.
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Premier David Eby says the new law requires conversations between local governments and First Nations to happen before a potential emergency, marking a shift from how things were done before the fire that swept through Lytton.
“This hopefully will be just one of the many improvements that have come about, hard lessons learned through … the terrible loss of property that took place in Lytton following that devastating fire,” Eby told an unrelated news conference.
Eby says the province would respond to the auditor’s report later Tuesday.
The auditor’s report says the community lost its grocery store, bank, post office, school, health centre and electrical infrastructure in the blaze, along with dozens of homes and “nearly all” municipal records, including building and planning bylaws.
After the flames subsided, it says the land was covered in debris and contaminated by soot and ash containing asbestos and heavy metals, including lead.
The report says archeological work in the rebuilding process following the deadly and destructive blaze was a “significant source of tension,” which the province “could not mitigate,” despite providing funds to the village to help offset the costs.
The auditor’s report says B.C. initially provided money directly to the village to support its recovery, but after receiving incomplete spending and progress reports, it shifted to a reimbursement-based funding model set to end in 2027.
In total, the province distributed more than $51 million to the village over the auditor’s examination period between June 30, 2021 and March 2025.
The report identifies issues for the province to consider as it implements the new disaster management law, including anticipating recovery in communities with low cash reserves, agreements with Indigenous governments and developing a framework for assessing communities’ capacity to lead their own recovery.
The review was prompted by concerns raised by the public and members of the B.C. legislature about the progress and cost of recovery, the report notes.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
Several calls were made to 911 about an apartment unit on fire in Ottawa on Saturday, including from a person stuck on the balcony of that residence. Officials say four people were rescued from the high-rise, though two later died from their injuries.
Ottawa Fire Services said they received a call at approximately 9:36 p.m. on March 14 from a monitoring agency reporting active fire alarms at a high-rise building in the 300 block of Somerset Street West.
After the first call, 911 received multiple additional calls about a fire in an apartment on the 19th floor, with some reports saying residents were trapped inside.
One caller contacted 911 from the balcony of the fire unit, stating they were trapped due to intense heat, heavy smoke, and flames inside the apartment and were unable to exit through the door.
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Fire crews arrived on scene three minutes after being dispatched and said heavy smoke was coming from the rooftop of the high-rise. Firefighters made their way quickly to the 19th floor and located the unit, encountering heavy smoke and flames from floor to ceiling upon entry.
A hose line was brought to the unit, as crews immediately began searching for trapped occupants.
Three people were found unconscious inside the apartment and were taken to a hallway to begin lifesaving care. A fourth person, who had made one of the 911 call, was safely helped from the balcony and taken out of the unit by firefighters.
A fifth resident of the building, who was on the same floor as the unit involved, was also helped out of the building.
The Ottawa Paramedic Service, along with the Fire Service, established a medical sector in the lobby, where both firefighters and paramedics assessed and treated victims.
They said CPR was used on two of the residents.
“Ottawa Fire Services extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the residents who lost their lives in this tragic incident,” Ottawa Fire said in a post on X.
As they worked to help the victims, firefighters continued battling heavy flames and extreme heat conditions. They were able to contain the fire to the apartment unit it began in, and prevent it from spreading.
The fire was declared under control by 10:03 p.m. Firefighers then began ventilating residual smoke from the structure using high-powered fans.
The investigation is ongoing into the fire, and a fire truck has remained on scene to monitor for any potential flare-ups as a fire watch remains in place.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
After losing his wife and daughter to cancer years prior, Jimmy Ottenbreit lived his Regina home with his dog for the last three years.
However, last December he lost his home to a house fire, with only the smoke detector saving his life.
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“The fire alarm went off and I got up, opened my door and the house was full of smoke,” says Ottenbreit.
Ottenbreit says his friends in the Regina Beach community have helped him rebuild his life and he now lives in a temporary cabin with his dog.
He wants people to know the importance of keeping yourself safe and living with a working smoke detector.
Sania Ali has more details in the video coverage above.
A massive fire broke out at a seniors’ home in Mission on Monday night and crews fought to knock back the flames as residents evacuated the area.
Dozens of residents spilled into the streets after their home erupted in flames and smoke around 6 p.m.
Columns of fire and smoke could be seen billowing out of the Chartwell Carrington House on the south side of 7th Avenue, with the fire appearing to come from the third floor of the multi-unit complex.
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Mission RCMP said they are working to confirm that everyone made it out safely.
Residents of the retirement home were transported by bus to the Mission Leisure Centre, at 7th Avenue and Grand Street. Family members coming to meet loved ones should attend the Leisure Centre, not the retirement residence. Emergency Support Services are on scene there to help evacuees, according to the RCMP.
There is sufficient food and other supplies there; no donations are being requested at this time, says the RCMP.
There is no word yet on how the fire started or if anyone was injured.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
