RCMP, Fire Marshal’s Office looking into ‘suspicious’ fire and gunshots
A suspicious house fire in Benton is under investigation with the RCMP and the provincial Fire Marshal’s Office.
Joe Beaudet, 75, heard several gunshots outside his home during the early morning hours of May 5 and then fled through a window as his house went up in flames.
“I never thought I would experience anything so stupid and so cruel in my lifetime,” said Beaudet. “My home was terribly damaged. I am leaving Benton and never coming back.”
Beaudet believes he was a victim of arson and that someone tried to kill him. He was not injured in the fire. He had no insurance. He said he is recovering what belongings he has left on the property, as well as tools and equipment from his machine shop.
“I don’t know why they let these criminals out of jail so they can go terrorize more people,” he said. “There is something wrong with the justice system.”
Beaudet’s neighbours witnessed the fire after hearing “popping sounds” and took to social media that same day to warn the community.
“We were woken up at 3:45 by popping sounds,” Shea Fowler MacMillan said in a social media post. “It sounded like someone throwing rocks at the house. I got up to look out the windows, but I didn’t see anything. The hubby ended getting out of bed and checked around the house. Fifteen minutes later our neighbour’s house was on fire. Thank the Lord he was able to get out, that the fire departments were able to get here quickly, and that his other buildings didn’t catch fire.”
Debec’s Deputy Fire Chief Chris Foster said 20 firefighters and five fire trucks responded to the call to Beaudet’s home around 3:45 a.m. Two trucks from the Debec Fire Department and three from the Meductic Fire Department arrived at the scene.
Foster said the fire was heavily involved, and they battled the blaze until 10 a.m. The story-and-a-half bungalow, covered with metal cladding and a metal roof, sustained significant damage in the blaze. Foster said the fire was deemed suspicious and was reported to the provincial Fire Marshal’s office and the RCMP.
RCMP Sgt. James Gallant said the fire at Beaudet’s home is under police investigation. Gallant could not confirm that a firearm was involved in the incident, but police do have a rough description of a suspect. Police are looking for information from the public to help lead to an arrest.
