While details on the arrest are limited, VicPD said they have arrested one person for arson.
According to police, emergency crews responded to multiple overnight fires, two of which are confirmed arsons.
The series of fires began at around 2 a.m. Friday morning, with the last fire being doused at around 4 a.m. on Yates Street.
The Victoria Fire Department contacted VicPD around 2 a.m. to inform them that they were responding to a small brush fire in the 1000-block of Balmoral Road, near the intersection with Cook Street.
Firefighters doused the flames without injury or significant damage. The cause of this fire is under investigation.
About two hours later, at 3:40 a.m., police were dispatched to the intersection of Broad and View Streets for a report of a fire. When officers arrived, they discovered two separate fires, one of which was against the exterior door of the Bay Centre building.
VicPD said their officers retrieved fire extinguishers from their cruisers and, after some effort, were able to put the fire out. Responding firefighters took over. Damage to the exterior doors is being assessed.
The fire was determined to be arson and a suspect was arrested a short time later. They’re being held pending a court date.
About 15 minutes after that fire, officers were called to an alley way a short distance away, in the 500-block of Yates Street, for a report of a fire.
Responding officers located an area resident working to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. Victoria Fire Department firefighters responded and were able to extinguish the fire.
Police are still working to confirm the arrested suspect also started this blaze.
Investigators are also looking into the possibility these fires are related to the fire that ripped through a James Bay apartment complex parking last week.
In that fire, six vehicles were damaged or destroyed and it was the area’s second fire of the night, coming not long after a smaller fire, about 100 metres down the street, was deliberately set outside an apartment building and extinguished by police.
Investigators are asking anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from these areas between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. to save their footage and call the VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
