Man who allegedly set fire to 3 Masonic halls faces additional charges

A man accused of setting fire tothree Masonic halls in Vancouver and North Vancouver last weekis facing further charges.

Benjamin Kohlman, 42, was chargedlast weekwith arson andassaulting a police officerin relation to a fire at a Masonic temple near Rupert Street and East 29th Avenue in Vancouver on March 30.

On Tuesday, he was charged with five more offences: two additional counts of arson and three counts of break and enter to commit arson.

Kohlman made a brief appearance in Vancouver Provincial Court Tuesday afternoon via video link.

On March 30, fires were reported at three Masonic halls over the span of about an hour between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. PT: the Lynn ValleyandDuke of Connaughtlodgesin North Vancouver andthe Park Lodge Masonic Hall in Vancouver.

Kohlman was arrested just before 10 a.m. in Burnaby near North Fraser Way and Marine Way, about a 20-minute drive from the location of the last of the fires, police said last week.