Times Colonist
Police are appealing for help as they investigate nine suspicious fires in Victoria and Esquimalt in the past month.
Investigators believe the fires were intentionally set. No one was injured. It is not known whether any of the fires are related.
These are the dates and approximate times of the fires:
• March 5, 3:20 a.m. — Officers respond to a garbage-can fire in the 600-block of Courtenay Street. While there, they were called to another garbage-can fire in the 600-block of Fort Street. Both garbage cans were damaged.
• March 10, 11 a.m. — A plastic sign in the 1100-block of Colville Road is damaged by a fire.
• March 20, 11:20 p.m. — Cardboard boxes are found burning in the road at Rockland and Linden avenues. Nothing was damaged.
• March 28, 11 p.m. — The cab of a GMC Sierra is badly damaged in a fire at Beacon Hill Park.
• April 2, 10 p.m. — Officers attended a fire involving branches and cardboard on the sidewalk in the 3000-block of Douglas Street. There was no other damage.
• April 5, 2 a.m. — A fire in a tire rack in the 1600-block of Fairfield Road; the rack and a hedge were damaged.
• April 6, 10 p.m. — A dumpster is damaged in a fire in the 600-block of Pembroke Street.
• April 9, 2:15 a.m. — Officers are called to a garbage can fire in the 500-block of Chatham Street. There was damage to the garbage can.
The appeal comes with a warning from police to secure items like garbage cans and dumpsters, and keep combustible items like branches and cardboard away from businesses and residences.
Keeping exterior lights on can also help, police said.
Police ask anyone with information about any of the fires to call them at 250-995-7654 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
