Fire damage is visible on the second floor. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

By Chris Brown

Fire happened the day after standoff

Standoff and fire at same city residence are related, police say

Nov 19, 2021 | 11:59 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat police say a fire on Thursday is “undoubtedly related” to a search warrant and high-risk incident from the day before

City firefighters were called to a house in the 100 block of First Avenue SW at about 6 p.m. Thursday after a passerby noticed the fire.

It’s the same house police executed a search warrant at on Wednesday afternoon looking for weapons and stolen property. That turned into a standoff when the primary offender refused to exit the residence and barricaded himself inside.

Medicine Hat Police Service Insp. Brent Secondiak says the search warrant and fire are connected.

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“Due kind of to some of the people and the behaviours associated to that residence it’s definitely concerning to us that there was a fire the day after we attended for a search warrant. It is concerning, undoubtedly related,” he said.

The stolen property file is being investigated by the regional property crimes unit and the major crimes unit is investigating the fire.

The standoff ended peacefully at about 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

A 39-year old Medicine Hat resident is currently in police custody for several offences. The name of the accused can be released after the conclusion of the investigation and the formal charges have been sworn to.