Community Safety Alert: Downtown Prince George Arson Arrest

Overview of the Incident

In the early hours of April 24, 2026, frontline officers from the Prince George RCMP arrested a 38-year-old woman after a series of fires were reportedly set in the Downtown Prince George area. The incidents occurred shortly after midnight and prompted an immediate police and fire response to protect nearby businesses and public spaces.

According to police, a witness reported seeing a woman start a fire in front of a business on the 1700-block of Victoria Street, then continue along Victoria Street and ignite additional fires. Officers located the suspect a short distance away on the 2000-block of Twentieth Avenue, where she was arrested following a brief foot pursuit. Multiple small fires in the surrounding area were extinguished by responding officers and Prince George Fire Rescue Services.

Official RCMP Details

Police have identified the arrested woman as 38-year-old Jessie Lynn Giroux, who is known to law enforcement. She was taken into custody immediately after her arrest and held pending a court appearance.

The following charges have been approved in relation to this investigation:

• Arson causing damage to property
• Obstructing a police officer

RCMP state that Ms. Giroux will remain in custody until her next scheduled appearance before the court. No injuries have been reported in connection with these fires, but the incidents highlight ongoing safety concerns in busy downtown corridors, particularly as temperatures rise and more people are outdoors late at night.

Police leadership in Prince George have emphasized that officers, supported by RCMP Patrol Volunteers, will continue focused patrols in the downtown core to maintain public safety during evening and overnight hours. Similar urban centres across Canada track patterns of property crime and disorder; residents looking to understand broader crime trends can review community-level data, such as the crime and safety statistics profile for Brighton, Ontario, to see how incidents like arson fit within local risk landscapes.

CrimeCanada.ca Safety Perspective

From the perspective of CrimeCanada.ca, this incident in Prince George, British Columbia is a reminder that arson and intentionally set nuisance fires pose a serious threat to public safety, even when they begin as small flames near businesses or public areas. Fires can spread quickly, damage infrastructure, affect air quality, and endanger nearby residents, especially in mixed commercial–residential zones and during warmer, drier months.

To support a safer community, CrimeCanada.ca encourages residents to remain alert in downtown and high-traffic areas, particularly late at night. If you see someone attempting to start a fire, tampering with combustible materials, or behaving suspiciously near building entrances, garbage containers, or brush, move to a safe location and contact local police or emergency services (911) immediately. When it is safe to do so, note details such as location, time, physical description, direction of travel, and any vehicles involved. Community vigilance and timely reporting give first responders the best chance to intervene early, prevent escalation, and protect both people and property.

CrimeCanada.ca’s mission is to use data and official police information to help Canadians understand risk and take practical steps to stay safe. While this alert is specific to downtown Prince George, the same principles of awareness, prompt reporting, and collaboration with police and fire services apply in communities across the country.

Official Source & Community Safety

This safety alert is based on an official release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). CrimeCanada.ca aggregates and analyzes this data to keep the british-columbia community informed, aware, and safe. We are an independent safety data aggregator and not the original creators of the underlying incident report.

Read the full official release here: RCMP Official Statement.