Fire causes $1M in damage at Hudson Bay Rail yard in The Pas

Arson is being blamed as the cause of a rail yard fire that led to $1 million in damageearlier this week.

RCMPresponded Mondayat 5:40 a.m. to the Hudson Bay Rail yard in The Pas, 520 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, after reports of a fire.

A stack of railway ties were intentionally lit on fire, RCMP said.

Denver-based OminTraxowns the rail line andis offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

"We were very troubled by this terrible act and are eager to assist in any way possible with the investigation to ensure not only HBR but the greater community can rest easier knowing the perpetrator of this act are held responsible for their actions," Merv Tweed, president of OmniTrax Canada, said in a statement.

• Agreement signed for sale of Churchill port, Hudson Bay rail line

ArlenDumas, chief of nearbyMathiasColombFirst Nation, called the blaze "very troubling."

"There were no injuries associated with the fire, but the fire will lead to impacts on all the people dependant on the line," Dumas said in a statement.

Anyone with information about the fire can contact localRCMP at204-627-6204, orManitoba Crime Stoppers at1-800-222-8477.