VICTORIA -- A Monday morning fire in Victoria’s James Bay neighbourhood is now being investigated as the tenth suspicious fire in the region in just over a month.
Police confirm to CTV News that a fire that destroyed a shed and damaged a home and neighbouring garage on Parry Street shortly after 7:20 a.m. is under investigation as a suspicious fire. No one was injured in the blaze on the property that’s slated for development by Aryze.
Police say they do not know if the fire is related to a string of suspicious fires set in Victoria and Esquimalt between March 5 and April 9. All of those fires are believed to have been intentionally set.
The first two fires occurred on March 5 at approximately 3:20 a.m. Police were called to the 600-block of Courtenay Street in downtown Victoria for reports of a garbage can on fire. Shortly after, officers were called to the 600-block of Fort Street for reports of another garbage fire. Police say both garbage bins sustained damage.
The third fire took place at roughly 11 a.m. on March 10. VicPD officers were called to a construction site in the 1100-block of Colville Road for reports of a fire. A plastic sign was damaged by the flames, say police.
On March 20, police were called to a fourth suspicious fire at the intersection of Rockland Avenue and Linden Avenue when cardboard boxes were discovered ablaze in the roadway.
The fifth suspicious fire occurred at roughly 11 a.m. on March 28. Police say they were called to a vehicle fire near the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm. According to VicPD, a silver 2018 GMC Sierra was set on fire in a Beacon Hill Park parking lot. Significant damage was done to the interior of the vehicle.
The sixth recent suspicious fire took place on April 2. Officers were called to the 3000-block of Douglas Street at roughly 10 p.m. for reports of tree branches and cardboard on fire on the sidewalk. No buildings were damaged.
On April 5, at approximately 2 a.m., police were called to a seventh suspicious fire. VicPD says that a tire rack and hedge at a Fairfield-area gas station was lit on fire. No one was injured but police are considering the incident to be a case of arson.
One day later, on April 6, Victoria police were called to the 600-block of Pembroke Street for reports of a dumpster fire. Police say the incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m.
The ninth suspicious fire took place at approximately 2:15 a.m. on April 9. Officers were called to reports of another garbage can fire in the 500-block of Chatham Street.
Police are asking for anyone with information on any of the fires to step forward and contact them.
Meanwhile, VicPD is reminding residents to secure all garbage cans and dumpsters at night. Police are also asking residents to store any combustible materials, such as cardboard or branches, away from homes and buildings.
Anyone with information on any of the nine fires is asked to call VicPD at 250-995-7654 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.