An Oliver residence that weeks earlier had been hit with a pipe bomb was attacked with a chemical believed to be bear spray this morning.

A woman alone in her home was treated at the scene Sunday by paramedics. She suffered irritation in her throat from the effect of the chemical.

An “oily substance” was found on the kitchen floor, and police officers found an expended canister of what appeared to be pepper spray in some hedges along the driveway, RCMP said.

“Suspects and any possible motivation for this crime are unknown at this point,” said Cpl. Mike Field in a news release.

The women had woken shortly after midnight with a “moderate irritation” in her throat. When she opened the door to her bedroom, the irritation worsened, said the RCMP statement.

Firefighters and RCMP officers who searched her home also noted a mild irritation to their throats.

Police said this is the same home where a pipe bomb blew up under an empty vehicle on Aug. 12.

RCMP said they can’t say if there is a link between the two events.

Anyone with information of either of the incidents is asked to call the Oliver RCMP at 250-490-3422 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

On September 8th, 2013, at approximately 12:23AM, Oliver RCMP were notified by the Oliver Fire Department of a suspicious occurrence at a residence located in the 600 Block of Earle Crescent, in Oliver, BC.  A female resident reported waking up shortly after midnight noting a moderate irritation in her throat.

As the woman opened the door to her bedroom, the effect worsened, leading her to believe there was a fire in the residence.  Fire Crews attended the residence, confirming that there was no fire but noted an oily substance on the kitchen floor, and all Fire and Police personnel on scene noted a mild irritation to their throats when in and around the residence.   Believing the irritation to be potentially caused by pepper spray, police officers conducted a search of the environs and located an expended canister of what appeared to be bear spray discarded in some hedges lining the driveway of the residence.

The female, sole occupant of the residence at the time, was treated and released at scene by the B.C. Ambulance Service.  Suspects and any possible motivation for this crime are unknown at this point. Police can confirm at this time that the residence involved in the aforementioned incident is the same residence that was the victim of an improvised explosive device detonated under an un-occupied vehicle on August 11th.

The investigation is in the initial stages and further investigation will be required before any determination can be made as to a link between the two events.

***

See earlier stories and pictures on ODN posted at 2am and 2pm