Arson charges laid during recent wildfires have stalled in the courts due to delays getting some evidence from the RNC.

And it does not appear to be an isolated incident.

Twenty-year-old Caleb Boland-Pelkey is accused of setting several brush fires in downtown St. John’s during the recent fire ban.

He faces three charges of arson with disregard for human life and a $150,000 fine.

Firefighters battled back-to-back-to-back fires from Lemarchant Road to New Gower Street within a two-hour span late on the night of August 12.

At the time they were also helping contain wildfires near Paddy’s Pond and C.B.S.

Defence lawyer Jeff Brace told the court he’s asked a number of times for alleged CCTV video the RNC has had since the fires, but remains empty-handed more than two months after the fact.

The Crown said it would look into the delay, with Judge Paul Noble opining that getting video evidence from police in a timely fashion has been issue of late.

“I suspect they are overwhelmed,” he said, assuring the accused, on video from HMP, that the court would “try to put a push on this for you.”

The results of that will be known when the case is called again on November 19th.