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Victoria Police are looking for answers to three suspicious fires started within one block radius of each other east of Beacon Hill Park early Thursday morning, and they're asking the public for help.
3 suspicious James Bay fires, which occurred approx 3am this morning, are under investigation. If you have information, or security cam footage - 500-blk Michigan, 500-blk Government, or 200-blk Menzies - pls call. #yyj
— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) May 14, 2020
Info: https://t.co/8Z4XLbihqg pic.twitter.com/k0ayKs1ntC
At about 3 a.m. Thursday morning, officers were alerted of a suspicious construction fire bin near the intersection of Michigan Street and Powell Street. The Victoria Fire Department (VFD) extinguished the fire, but the bin has "sustained significant fire damage," police said.
Five minutes later, police were called to a second suspicious fire on the 500-block of Government Street where the staircase of a heritage building was on fire. Officers contained the fire with a fire extinguisher until the VFD arrived to extinguish it.
Shortly afterward, at 3:10 am, officers received a third report of a fire, this time a dumpster fire on the 200-block of Menzies Street. When they arrived, the dumpster was engulfed in flames and spread to a nearby wooden fence. They contained the fire with a fire extinguisher until the VFD arrived and extinguished it.
No one was injured from the fires, but police say there was "significant property damage" as a result.
They've made a request to the public for information or footage that could help their investigation.
"If you live near the 500-block of Michigan Street, the 500-block of Government Street, the 200-block of Menzies Street, or surrounding areas, please review security camera footage for the time period between 2:30-3:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 14," Victoria Police said in a statement.
Those with information are asked to call the police at the non-emergency line, 250-995-7654, or report it anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
