Police arrest man for alleged arson following Prince George, B.C., brewery fire

British ColumbiaPrince George RCMP have arrest Richard Titchener, 57, following a fire that destroyed CrossRoads Brewing in downtown Prince George.Richard Titchener, 57, charged with arson causing damage to property Hanna Petersen · CBC News · Posted: Sep 08, 2025 11:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoThe downtown location of CrossRoads Brewing & Distillery is pictured after being gutted by an early morning fire in Prince George, B.C., Sept. 5, 2025. (Nicole Oud/CBC)Prince George RCMP have made an arrest following a fire Friday morning at CrossRoads Brewing and Distillery in the city’s downtown.Police arrested Richard Titchener, 57, who has been charged with arson causing damage to property. Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for Prince George RCMP, says Titchener is a resident of Prince George and well known to police. Crews were called to CrossRoads Brewing and Distillery at George Street and 5th Avenue around 2:30 a.m., after a commercial fire alarm went off.WATCH | Fire engulfs brewery: Early morning fire engulfs Crossroads Brewing in downtown Prince GeorgeAn early morning fire in Downtown Prince George has damaged a local brewery and restaurant. Nicole Oud is joining us from the scene. Prince George Fire Rescue Chief Bryan Burleigh told CBC News when crews arrived they found heavy fire burning in the building’s roof.Police say no injuries were reported in relation to the fire, however, the building was fully destroyed.”We did have quite a tremendous community support reaching out with video surveillance from the neighborhood surrounding CrossRoads and we are thankful to everyone who provided information as it was instrumental in us executing this arrest,” said Cooper.CrossRoads has been a cornerstone of the city’s downtown since it opened in 2017 and was set to host its annual late-summer street festival the following day, which brings live music and games to the roads immediately surrounding the business.Titchener made his first court appearance Monday morning and will remain in custody until his next court appearance, scheduled for Sept. 9.ABOUT THE AUTHORHanna Petersen is a reporter for CBC News, working out of the Prince George, B.C., bureau. You can email her at hanna.petersen@cbc.ca.