RCMP Investigating Suspicious Structure Fire in Chilliwack’s Ryder Lake

Community Safety Alert: Structure Fire on Bench Forest Service Road

On the night of March 31, 2026, Chilliwack RCMP responded to a report of a structure fire on a rural property along Bench Forest Service Road in the Ryder Lake area of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The incident was reported to police at approximately 10:22 p.m. after a woman sought help from a nearby residence.

The woman told officers she had been inside her home when she heard an unexplained disturbance outside. Shortly afterward, a separate building on her property caught fire. The Ryder Lake Fire Department arrived and quickly brought the blaze under control. No injuries were reported, but the circumstances surrounding the fire are considered suspicious and remain under active investigation by police.

Official RCMP Details & Request for Witnesses

The Chilliwack RCMP General Investigative Support Team has taken over the file, recorded under police file number 2026-12885. Investigators are working to determine how the fire started and whether any criminal activity was involved.

To advance this investigation, officers are appealing to anyone who may have been in the Bench Forest Service Road / Ryder Lake area on the evening of March 31, 2026. This includes local residents, drivers passing through, and property owners who may have cameras covering roadways, driveways, or forest access points.

RCMP are specifically asking for:

• Any witnesses who saw suspicious people, vehicles, or activity in the Ryder Lake area around 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on March 31, 2026.
• Dash camera footage from vehicles that travelled on Bench Forest Service Road or nearby routes during that time.
• Home surveillance or business security video that may have captured activity linked to the fire or any suspicious movement before or after the incident.

Crime Canada Community Assistance Request: If you live in or travel through the Ryder Lake / Bench Forest Service Road area, review any available recordings from March 31, 2026, and think back to anything unusual you may have observed. Even small details may be important to investigators.

If you have information, contact:

• Chilliwack RCMP: 604-792-4611

When calling, reference that you are providing information related to the structure fire investigation in the Ryder Lake area on March 31, 2026 (file 2026-12885, if requested).

CrimeCanada.ca Safety Perspective

From a CrimeCanada.ca safety standpoint, late-night fires on rural or semi-rural properties raise important concerns about both public safety and potential criminal activity. Incidents like this in the Chilliwack region underscore the value of neighbours looking out for each other, especially in areas with fewer streetlights, longer emergency response times, and limited natural witnesses. For a broader view of local risk patterns, residents can review the Chilliwack Crime Statistics & Safety Report to better understand trends in property-related incidents and community safety.

We encourage residents in Ryder Lake and across British Columbia to take simple precautions: keep exterior areas well lit where possible, maintain working smoke alarms, and consider using security or trail cameras overlooking driveways and access points. Promptly reporting unusual noises, unfamiliar vehicles stopping repeatedly, or unexplained activity to police can help prevent harm and support investigations when incidents occur. Your observations and recordings are often the missing pieces that allow investigators to identify patterns and protect the broader community.

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.