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Arson not ruled out in blaze at Superfluity shop

Second thrift-store fire in less than two months in White Rock
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A June 26 fire damaged Worldserve store.

The fire that forced the shutdown of the Peace Arch Hospital Auxiliary’s Superfluity thrift store may have been deliberately set.

White Rock RCMP released a statement last week saying the Aug. 9 fire started in a pile of newspapers and magazines piled on a couch left in the back lane behind the shop at 15163 Prospect Ave.

“Although, the fire may have been inadvertently set with the ember from a cigarette, the fact that it may have been deliberately set cannot be ruled out,” Const. Janelle Shoihet said.

The exact cause of the fire, which damaged the northeast corner of the Thrift Shop roof and building and forced its indefinite shutdown is undetermined, the statement said.

The fire at Superfluity was the second blaze behind a White Rock thrift store in less than two months. On June 26, a fire that started in a couch behind the Worldserve Thrift store, at 1401 Johnston Rd., scorched the walls and melted a plastic sign in the drop-off dock but did not cause structural damage.

The fire was reported around 1:30 a.m.

Store manager Melody Jobse told Peace Arch News this week that the store is planning to put a chain-link fence around the loading dock to keep after-hours drop-offs a safe distance from the store. She said it isn’t known if the fire was deliberately set, but it would help a lot if people stopped dumping furniture and other items when the store is closed.

“We can’t recycle something that goes up in flames,” Jobse said, noting many use the drop-off area to dump garbage, to the point where store staff won’t sort through anything left after business hours.

“It goes to the dump,” Jobse said.

“It’s incredibly frustrating.”

RCMP Const. Janelle Shoihet noted people found dropping off after hours could be fined for violating a City of White Rock bylaw.



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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