Suspect will be in court today facing charges of arson with the disregard of human lifePublished Aug 14, 2025Last updated 13 minutes ago1 minute readMayor Danny Breen (front) joined the City’s Manager of Emergency and Business Preparedness David Day, St. John’s Regional Fire Chief Sherry Colford and RNC Constable James Cadigan at Central Fire Station on Wednesday afternoon to share updates on recent fires in and around the metro area. Chris BallardArticle contentAfter a tense 24 hours following a series of fires that were deliberately set in Downtown St. John’s on Wednesday night, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary announced on Thursday morning that they had arrested 20-year-old Caleb Boland-Pelkey in relation to these incidents.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe individual will appear in court today facing criminal charges of arson with the disregard of human life.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentAt Thursday morning’s provincial wildfire briefing, Premier John Hogan confirmed that in addition to facing criminal charges, the suspect will be facing three separate fines of $50,000 each.Article contentThe fires were believed to have been set between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and were quickly extinguished by members of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department with no structural damage or injuries reported. Article contentThe RNC says the investigation is ongoing in consultation with Resource Enforcement Officers from the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. Article content
Arson arrest: 20-year-old man arrested in relation to suspicious fires in downtown St. Johns
