Kamloops RCMP have now confirmed the fire which has knocked Westmount Elementary out of service in north Kamloops for “several weeks” is being viewed as a likely case of arson.

Kamloops RCMP say they’re looking for witnesses or any footage someone may have the early Sunday fire at the Westsyde school, which appears to have done extensive damage.

“It appears that there was someone on the roof of the school when the fire broke out,” said Staff Sergeant Chris Kienzle, Kamloops RCMP spokesperson.  “The fire is believed to be intentionally set, and our investigation is ongoing.”

RCMP have not provided a more precise timeline as to when they believe the fire may have been sparked, saying only that they were called out in the “early morning hours.”

School to be shutdown for weeks

In a notification posted online from the Principal, Roy Styles says Westmount Elementary will be closed “until further notice.”

“Kamloops Fire Rescue and the RCMP are currently investigating this incident,” writes Styles in his note.

“Westmount Elementary School is closed until further notice and there will be no access to the school for several weeks,” he added in bold.

The Principal’s letter goes on to note that classes for students at Westmount Elementary have been cancelled for Monday as the District works on plans to “relocate” the students to a nearby school for classes on Tuesday.

Westmount Elementary, located just off of Westsyde Road, caught fire sometime overnight on Sunday, with flames seen shooting from the roof at some point in the early-morning hours.

Confirmation of the incident initially provided by SD73 on its website in a short statement later on Sunday.

“There was a fire at Westmount Elementary early this morning (October 26, 2025),” the School District confirmed.  “Thanks to the rapid response from our partners at Kamloops Fire and Rescue, the fire has been extinguished.”

“District staff are working with the Fire Inspector to determine the extent of the damage and to initiate remediation,” the District added.

“We will have an update on the Westmount Elementary school and district websites this afternoon with information for parents, students and staff about plans for school operations on Monday and beyond.”

The details of how the fire got going remain held back by authorities, though photographs would suggest the fire may have been set inside a ventilation duct leading into the school — later seen exploding in a large amount of flames.

The fire at Westmount Elementary comes just over a year after Parkcrest Elementary in north Kamloops reopened to students, five years after it was completely destroyed by fire at a cost of over $70 million dollars to rebuild.

Westmount Elementary has a catchment area which includes a large area of Batchelor Heights, with expectations students could be redistributed among the other elementary schools in the area as damage from the fire is repaired.