On March 19, 2016, the Wood Buffalo RCMP received reports of one or more persons stealing gas from vehicles, and the police are cautioning that this activity can cause explosions. The thefts occurred near Anzac, and several vehicles that were parked in the Stony Mountain Road area in a residential parking lot had their fuel tanks punctured and gas drained from the tank. A total of 5 pick up trucks were found with punctured fuel tanks, and one of the vehicles also had the tonneau cover on the truck slashed as well. According to Wood Buffalo RCMP Cpl. George Cameron says that the evidence which was found at the scene makes theft rather than a prank the most likely. Cameron also issued a warning, saying “This really was not the brightest thing to do. They’re lucky a spark didn’t flare up when they were puncturing the tanks. It’s pretty dangerous. They’re lucky they didn’t explode.”

The Wood Buffalo RCMP investigation into the individual or individuals stealing gas in the Anzac area started when several vehicle owners came out in the morning and noticed pools of gasoline underneath their vehicles. A majority of the vehicles that were damaged still had some gas in them, but the size of the pools and the amount of gas that each owner reported having in their tank did not match up. This caused officers to suspect that someone stole gas using a container, and then tried to reseal the punctures created in the tanks. Police also discovered a broken jerry can close to the scene. Anyone who knows anything about the person or persons stealing gas in the Anzac area can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or the Wood Buffalo RCMP at 780-788-4040.