Five residential fires in the past year is causing alarm bells to ring at the Prince George Fire & Rescue Department.
Three of the fires are of great concern because all occurred in hours of darkness at fully-occupied residences around the VLA subdivision, John Lane, deputy fire chief, said Tuesday of the blazes occurring April 5 and Dec. 5, 2009 on Pine Street and April 10, 2010 on Diefenbaker Drive.
They are all in residential settings and incurred "significant damage.
He said although all residents in the three fires escaped without injury,"there is potential for people being trapped in their homes."
All three were "opportunistic" fires in that they were set in "easily accessible combustibles" beside the structures including stacked cardboard boxes. a fuel can and garbage, said Lane .
The other two are recent fires occurring April 8 at Lombardy Trailer Court and April 11 on Wilson Crescent.
Lane's message to residents is to help protect their own property by storing any such combustibles as were used in these fires, along with any other easy-burning matter like firewood or building materials, away from the residence or out of sight.
He also advised residents to use motion detection lights to discourage trespassers, report any suspicious activity to police and ensure all levels of a residence has functional smoke detectors.
Lane said it's difficult to say if there's one or more people involved in setting the fires, but the fact is that all five fires "have been purposely set with easy combustibles near the residences."
He would not elaborate on evidence that shows the fires were set on purpose.
RCMP Cst. Gary Godwin said the "series of fires in and around the VLA area have been set in sheds, garages and one occupant of a house fire on Diefenbaker Drive suffered mild smoke inhalation."
"We're still trying to find a common denominator," said Godwin, adding, the files have now been turned over to a specialist in arson investigation who will assist police is solving the fires mystery.
So far, the common pattern is the VLA area where all fires have occurred.
