Death of animal in downtown Orillia sparks arson investigation: OPP

An animal is dead and an arson investigation is underway following an incident Monday in downtown Orillia.

At 5 p.m., Orillia OPP and Orillia firefighters responded to the intersection of Colborne and West streets for “an animal complaint,” police said in a news release.

“Upon arrival, an accelerant was discovered and, sadly, the animal that was the subject of the complaint had become deceased.”

When asked for more information, Const. Derek Tilley said, “due to the nature of the incident, further details are deemed too traumatic to release.”

“All I can say is this is an ongoing investigation. An accelerant was noted in the area, but … how the animal became on fire is still unknown.”