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Family of three found dead after Nanaimo house fire identified

A mother, father and their seven-year-old daughter were found dead after a house fire in Nanaimo on Tuesday, police say. Nanaimo RCMP Cpl.

A mother, father and their seven-year-old daughter were found dead after a house fire in Nanaimo on Tuesday, police say.

Nanaimo RCMP Cpl. Jon Stuart confirmed Wednesday morning that the three people who died were a family and all lived in the Nicol Street home.

Amberlee Scarr, her ex-husband Jason Stephenson and their daughter Piper have been identified by family as the deceased.

A man who identified himself as Scarr's uncle said she was a “beautiful person.”

“The whole family is very sorry about it,” the uncle said.

A cousin of Scarr’s wrote on Facebook: “My sweet dear Amberlee Scarr! And our lil mini u Piper are going to be so missed. I love you so much, I don’t want this to be true ... out of the hundred+ cousins i got, we have always been by each other’s side our whole lives...I’m so angry, frustrated, confused and heartbroken right now. This is all still such a shock. Our family is trying to get more answers but either way you girls are gone way before your time and are going to be so missed by so many.”

Nanaimo RCMP’s serious crime section is investigating and the fire is being treated as suspicious until determined otherwise, Stuart said.

The small brown bungalow remained behind police tape today as forensic investigators in white suits and fire inspectors gathered evidence.

“Three people have died, whether it was related to the fire or not we don't know,” Stuart said. It’s also unclear whether the fire was accidental or deliberately set, he said.

Police have not yet been able to find any witnesses with information on how the fire started.

A 911 call initially came in about a disturbance, which turned out to be a passerby banging on the windows of the home to get the residents’ attention, Stuart said.

Calls came in about a fire shortly after noon. Nanaimo RCMP said they attended just after 12:30 p.m. and the residence was ablaze.

Despite the heavy flames, firefighters were able to enter the home for an offensive attack, said Nanaimo Fire Chief Karen Fry.

The fire was extinguished and firefighters found the bodies of three people — two adults and the girl — inside.

“It’s tragic,” Fry said. “It’s traumatic and it plays on the mind and well-being of our firefighters and all responders, including the police.”

The house is set back from the road and secluded from neighbouring properties, Fry said. Nicol Street is the old highway, south of downtown Nanaimo.

“This is a terrible tragedy to hit our community,” said Nanaimo RCMP Const. Jon Stuart.

The cause of the fire and cause of the deaths are being investigated. Nanaimo RCMP, the Nanaimo fire department and the B.C. Coroners Service are all involved. “This investigation is still in the initial stages, and may take a significant amount of time due to the complexity of cases involving fires,” Stuart said.

The family of the deceased has been notified, police said. Officials with the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district, where the girl attended school, have also been notified.

kderosa@timescolonist.com

ceharnett@timescolonist.com