VICTORIA -- The Victoria police department is investigating six suspicious fires that are believed to have occurred within a 24-hour period earlier this week.

The investigation comes one week after VicPD warned of nine suspicious fires that were lit across the city between March and April. Police are unsure if the fires are connected at this time.

Sunday

According to police, the first of the six most recent suspicious fires was reported on April 12.

Police say that officers were called to a dumpster fire in the 3000-block of Blanshard Street at approximately 9:45 a.m.

Less than two hours later, at 11 a.m., police were called to the 2800-block of Irma Street for reports of another dumpster fire. VicPD says that both dumpsters sustained fire damage.

That evening, at approximately 10:15 p.m., patrol officers spotted a hedge on fire in the 900-block of Topaz Avenue.

One officer was able to stop the spread of the fire by using a fire extinguisher before the Victoria Fire Department arrived and doused the remainder of the flames.

Monday

The fourth suspicious fire that occurred in the 24-hour period took place in James Bay at 8:15 a.m. on April 13.

Police were called to reports of a shed fire in the 400-block of Parry Street. The fire eventually spread to an adjacent garage before being doused by firefighters. 

Both the shed and garage sustained fire damage.

Later that evening, at approximately 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a large area of burned grass on a residential lawn in the 500-block of Toronto Street.

Minutes later, at roughly 10:45 p.m., officers were called to the 500-block of Ellice Street for reports of a tent on fire.

Several tents were damaged in the flames, but no one was injured, say police.

The Victoria Police Department says that all six suspicious fires are believed to have been started in a 24-hour period. Police do not know if they are connected, or if they are connected to the nine fires that were recorded over the past month.

Anyone with information on any of the fires is asked to contact VicPD at 250-995-7654 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-847.

Police are also reminding residents to secure all garbage cans and dumpsters at night and advise storing any combustible materials, such as cardboard or branches, away from homes and buildings.