Alberta man charged in connection with alleged 2020 arson at Burnaby Hospital

Burnaby RCMP say an Alberta man has been charged with arson in connection with a fire at Burnaby Hospital in 2020. Police say the charge follows a six-year investigation involving several police agencies in Alberta.

Mounties responded on Nov. 16, 2020, to reports of a fire at the hospital the previous evening. A month later, Burnaby RCMP said investigators had determined the fire was deliberately set and released a photo of a person of interest. On Nov. 15, 2021, police released another update and video of the same person, confirming the person was a suspect.

Investigators identified a suspect in 2023 who had moved to Alberta, police said. Over the following three years, Burnaby RCMP worked with local and interprovincial agencies, including Edmonton Police Service, Alberta RCMP and Strathcona County RCMP.

Last week, 29-year-old Yu Yun Wang was charged with arson and disregard for human life. RCMP say Wang is in custody in Alberta on unrelated charges. Burnaby RCMP Chief Supt. Bill Parmar said the 2020 incident had a major impact on the local hospital and community while the health-care system was coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.