Suspect arrested as Victoria police investigate string of suspicious fires
Victoria police have arrested one person and are still investigating three suspicious fires that burned in the downtown core early Friday morning.
One fire occurred outside the Bay Centre at the corner of Broad Street and View Street, damaging some of the exterior of the building. Patrol officers were called to the scene at approximately 3:40 a.m. and doused the flames with fire extinguishers.
Police say one person was arrested a short time later and is being held in custody pending a court appearance.
Another fire burned in a garbage can in the 500-block of Yates Street around 3:55 a.m. Patrol officers responded to an alleyway where a resident was already working to extinguish the flames before firefighters arrived.
Both of the fires are being investigated as arsons, police said.
A small fire in the 1000-block of Balmoral Road, near Cook Street, was reported around 2 a.m. The fire was found in a hedge and quickly doused by firefighters without significant damage, police said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and police have yet to determine whether any of the fires are connected.
Investigators are asking anyone with video from these areas between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. to save their footage and call the VicPD Report Desk at 250-995-7654.
Exactly one week earlier, on the evening of June 16, police were called to two suspicious fires in the James Bay area.
Both of those fires are being investigated as arson, including one fire that damaged and destroyed six parked vehicles, as well as a carport.
The damaged vehicles and carport are pictured on June 17, 2022. (CTV News)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.