Suspicious fire on Knox Mountain after witness snaps photo of shirtless man among flames

Concerns about arson are growing in Kelowna following a suspicious fire on Knox Mountain. The incident prompted authorities to respond quickly, and the fire has since been ruled a criminal act.

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At first we thought it was a controlled burn because why else would there be smoke on the mountain, and then, upon further looking, it was a man in a hard hat, shirtless, with his pants half down and obviously in some kind of mental health crisis.

Witnesses Tessa Voight and Paiton Wrighton were hiking on the mountain when they noticed smoke. Initially mistaking it for a controlled burn, they soon realized the gravity of the situation upon seeing a man described as shirtless, wearing a hard hat, with his pants partially down, near the fire. "We were worried about it spreading to the entire mountain and thank goodness it got under control," Voight stated.

Kelowna RCMP arrested a man after a brief foot chase. The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed that Andrew James Dent faces charges of arson and resisting a peace officer related to the fire. Voight noted that fire is a constant concern in the region, especially given the dry conditions, adding, "This is just one guy, but like, there’s so many more fires being started by people that haven’t been caught, right?"

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We were worried about it spreading to the entire mountain and thank goodness it got under control.

Fire crews were able to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading further across the mountain. The investigation into the cause of the fire has concluded that it was intentionally set.

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This is just one guy, but like, there’s so many more fires being started by people that haven’t been caught, right?