Man arrested after running from scene of suspicious fire in Vancouver

Vancouver police say a 38-year-old Vancouver man has been arrested following the latest suspicious fire in a vacant property on the city’s west side.

Const. Jason Doucette says firefighters saw a man running from the burning home in the city’s Point Grey district as crews arrived to put out the blaze Sunday afternoon.

Arson investigators say the fire was deliberately set.

At the time, Vancouver Fire and Rescue assistant fire chief Peter Bridge told reporters plastic lawn furniture was found ablaze inside the recently sold house and holes had been punched in walls of the multimillion-dollar home to allow flames to spread more quickly.

Doucette says police are continuing to investigate other recent Vancouver fires to determine if there is any connection to Sunday’s arrest.

An empty church and a condo were badly damaged when two fires broke out within hours of each other in the city’s Kerrisdale neighbourhood in early November, and police confirmed they were investigating numerous arsons targeting vacant properties.

“We need the public to remain vigilant, particularly in areas of vacant homes,” says Constable Jason Doucette in the release.