Police investigate suspicious overnight fires at Stanley Park and East Vancouver

Police and fire services are investigating two suspicious overnight fires in Vancouver that appear to have been deliberately set.

The first fire happened around 1:00 a.m. today. Police received calls of a vehicle on fire on Wellington Avenue at Aberdeen Street. When officers arrived, they found a SUV fully engulfed in flames. Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services attended and extinguished the fire that also damaged another vehicle that was parked directly in front of the SUV.

Arson investigators believe that the fire is suspicious and it appears to have been deliberately set. Both vehicles were towed by police for further investigation.

No arrests have been made in the case.

The second fire occurred approximately 30 minutes later and was set at an information booth and washroom on Stanley Park Drive near Avison Way. Fortunately, police and fire crews arrived and the flames were extinguished before they could cause further damage.

No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made.

Arson detectives are continuing with their investigation into a third suspicious fire that happened at an apartment building on East Broadway near Fraser Street on June 7th. Around midnight, fire crews responded to a large structure fire that was believed to have started on the roof of the building. Police now believe that the fire may have been intentionally set and police are appealing to the public for information.

Police and fire services are reminding residents to keep their yards and alleys clear of debris that could potentially be used as a fuel source and report any suspicious activity to police.

“As the warmer, dryer weather approaches, we tend to see more fires that are deliberately set using combustible material around our homes,” says VPD spokesperson Sergeant Randy Fincham. “Please do your part in removing flammable material such as mattresses, construction debris, recycling and gas cans from around your home, reducing the chances that your family will be the victims of an intentionally lit fire.”

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Arson Unit at 604-717-2962 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Source: VPD | Featured Image: Vancouver fire truck via Shutterstock