Tamihi Logging is beefing up security at all its sites and boosting a reward to $50,000 for the arrest and conviction of whoever set company equipment ablaze in late June.
Griffin Investigation & Security Services is now monitoring Tamihi offices, storage yards, log sorts and logging sites with hidden cameras, mobile patrol vehicles and "other means of detection."
"The overall objective is to apprehend and deter the criminal element from committing their crimes," Griffin owner Brian Goldstone said in a news release.
"It's only a matter of time before we are able to force these criminals to seek other locations," he said.
Tamihi owner Brian Dorman said the company has been hit by recent thefts and damage to equipment, in addition to the arson.
"We've had smashed windows, bullet holes in the equipment, fuel theft and the fire/arson," he said.
A dump truck, excavator and rock drill were discovered July 3 destroyed by a fire that had apparently been set sometime earlier at a company site on the Mount Woodside Forest Service Road.
Dorman said at the time that the new replacement value of the equipment was $1.5 million, and to recover from the loss five employees would have to be laid off.
Goldstone said the news release was issued Tuesday to get the message out that Griffin Investigation & Security Services is now on the case.
"A lot of bad guys are going to be reading your paper and know we're out there and hopefully that will help deter the crime," he said.
Goldstone didn't want to elaborate on the "other means of detection" the company will be using, but said the hidden cameras at Tamihi sites are "triggered when someone walks on the property."
He said Griffin, which also provides downtown security for the City of Chilliwack, is known for using high-tech methods in its security work, like infra-red cameras and GPS tracking.
Goldstone said daily thefts at the Fraser Wharves in Richmond stopped after the company was hired three years ago.
Goldstone said he could not comment on the investigation Griffin is conducting into the Tamihi arson.
Anyone with information about the arson is asked to call the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611, Tamihi Logging at 604-796-0314 or Griffin Security at 604-703-0888.