Barriere’s radio station, CHLW, reports they were the target of a molotov cocktail attack early Saturday morning.
At approximately 2:10 a.m., owner Steve Shannon, who was doing late night production in the station at the time, says he “heard a pop” and went outside to investigate.
As Shannon walked outside he immediately saw that the CHLW news car was on fire, so quickly made a call for the fire department.
Shannon says once the Barriere volunteer firefighters were on site a plastic container containing a mixture of diesel and gasoline was discovered.
RCMP attended a short time later, and Shannon says police have started an arson investigation into the incident. The destroyed news car was taken by the police to allow arson investigators from Kamloops to further their inspection.
Shannon says the radio station’s mobile broadcast unit (an older motorhome) was also set ablaze. Fortunately though, thanks to a quick response from Shannon and the Barriere Fire Department, the flames were quickly dowsed with only minimal damage done to the unit.
“It was a good thing that I was awake at the time,” said Shannon. “The car and motorhome were parked close to the wood framed radio studio and a larger fire could have been the result.”
The investigation into who destroyed the news car, and why, continues.
