Arson charge laid in 2020 Burnaby Hospital fire that shut down emergency department

Yu Yun Wang, 29, has been charged with arson over a 2020 blaze at Burnaby Hospital that caused millions in damage. Wang is currently in custody in Alberta on unrelated charges.

Burnaby man charged with arson four years after hospital blaze forced ER closure

A 29-year-old man has been charged with arson in connection with a 2020 fire at Burnaby Hospital that temporarily shut down the emergency department and caused millions of dollars in damage, Vancouver Sun Crime reports.

Yu Yun Wang was charged on Sept. 8 following a multi-year investigation that drew in Alberta police alongside Burnaby RCMP. Wang is currently in custody in Alberta on unrelated charges.

The fire broke out on Nov. 15, 2020, in the hospital's Cascade building — a structure housing mental-health and substance-use services, a kitchen, and the Burnaby Hospital Foundation offices. The blaze forced the emergency room to close temporarily, diverted patients to other facilities, and led to rescheduled surgeries and appointments. No injuries were reported.

Investigators initially suspected an electrical cause, but arson investigators were called in the following day. A month after the fire, Burnaby police released a photograph of a person of interest. A year later, they issued video footage showing a suspected arsonist walking outside the hospital and entering an elevator on the night of the blaze, and established a public tip line and email address.

Wang was identified as a suspect in 2023, by which point he had relocated to Alberta. Edmonton police and Alberta RCMP provided assistance in tracking him down.

"Once we had an idea who he was, that was just the beginning of the investigation," said Cpl. Mike Kalanj of the Burnaby RCMP. "We spent a long time looking for him. Through our partnerships, we were able to locate him in Alberta and we used the long arm of partners over there to do everything we could to confirm and get enough evidence" for the B.C. charges.

The fire struck Burnaby Hospital during a period of significant strain on the health-care system due to COVID-19. Supt. Bill Parmar said in a statement: "The outcome of this lengthy investigation is a testament to the dedication of the many officers involved in this file over the years."

The Cascade building, constructed in 1973, was demolished in 2022 as part of the first phase of Burnaby Hospital's redevelopment project.

Source: Vancouver Sun Crime