Vernon man arrested for allegedly starting 'several' fires outside Catholic church

A man has been arrested in Vernon after allegedly starting "several" fires outside St. James Catholic Church.Dillon Alexander Leon, 33, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of mischief over $5,000 and possession of incendiary material.According to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, officers responded to reports of a man setting fires on a property in the 2600 block of 27 St. around 8 p.m. Leon was arrested "without incident" and "no significant property damage was reported."He was kept in custody before making an appearance at Kamloops provincial court on Tuesday, where Judge Michelle Stanford granted him bail under the condition he refrain from possessing any materials or tools that could start fires.As Castanet reports, Crown prosecutor Alex Wheele explained in court that witnesses saw Leon "lighting a series of small fires on the property of that church," some of which were "near" the structure itself. He added that, according to those in the area at the time, Leon at one point threw something into one of the fires, which resulted in an explosion. A motive has not yet been determined.Leon is set to appear in court again on Thursday."It's really concerning to see this happening," Vernon North Okanagan RCMP Media Relations Officer Const. Chris Terleski lamented. "It's reckless. These fires have potential to suddenly get out of control and can have disastrous consequences. Fortunately, that wasn't the case thanks to the quick action of the witnesses who spotted what was happening and immediately reported it."According to the BC Wildfire Service, there are currently 359 active fires burning across the province. Of those, 29% are "out of control," 27% are "being held," and 43% are "under control."A number of fire bans have been put in place since the beginning of summer, with authorities urging British Columbians to avoid setting anything alight to mitigate the risk of causing more destruction.