(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Arson

13-year-old girl charged, following fire at Ranch Ehrlo

Dec 30, 2022 | 5:00 PM

A 13-year-old girl is facing charges of arson and assault in connection to an incident Thursday afternoon, that for all intents and purposes, could have been a lot worse.

The girl who cannot be named as per the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in person Friday morning at Prince Albert Provincial Court. At the time of the hearing, she was wearing a bandage covering her right forearm, which was said to be unrelated to the fire.

At approximately 12:03 p.m. on Thursday, both Prince Albert RCMP and Buckland Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a fire at Ranch Ehrlo— a residence for vulnerable youth. According to a statement on the volunteer fire department’s Facebook page, the fire was extinguished prior to their crew’s arrival.

Firefighters looked for extension and removed burnt material from the room.

The police investigation determined a youth set a small fire at the residence, which caused minor damage. A source close to the incident told paNOW the fire was set to the blinds and a mattress. Fortunately, staff were nearby and helped prevent a far more serious incident from happening.

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Following the fire, the youth then assaulted an adult female, who reported non-life-threatening injuries.

Prior to this fire, the girl had also made other attempts to set fires, including one involving the Christmas tree.

The teenage girl was remanded to Jan. 4, to allow time for a plan to be created as to where she will stay in the future. In addition to her Prince Albert court matter, the teen also has outstanding charges from Alberta.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell