Lake Louise RCMP arrest 1 in housing complex fire that displaced up to 200

Mounties in Lake Louise arrested a man and are charging him with arson after a blaze engulfed a housing complex, displacing nearly 200 people.

A report came in for a fire on the Charleston Residence at around 12 p.m. Monday, along with a mention of a man on the rooftop of the building.

When emergency officials arrived, they spotted the man holding a weapon but didn’t clarify what weapon it was.

Officers say they deescalated the situation and convinced the man to come down to meet them on a ladder, but he slipped and fell on the way down.

He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Read More: Firefighters tackle blaze at Lake Louise housing complex: RCMP

Since then, the Southern Alberta District General Investigation Section (GIS) has been called to investigate.

Lake Louise resident, Timothy Alexander Peterson, 40, faces charges that include arson and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

He had a Judicial Interim Release Hearing and was remanded into custody afterward.

The suspect is expected to appear in court in Calgary on July 7.

Dan Markham, a Lake Louise Ski Resort spokesperson, told CityNews that about 150 to 200 staff members were staying at the complex and are now displaced.

The Charleston Residence is a three-story log building that is nearly 100,000 square feet that houses those that operate ski hills.