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)