Fifth dumpster fire this summer has cops concerned

VERNON – Another suspicious dumpster fire has police asking the public for aid.

Six weeks after firefighters and police dealt with four cases of arson in dumpsters and recycling bins set within 24 hours of each other, the culprit may have struck again. Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, firefighters put out a fire in a recycling bin in the 4550 block of 31st Street.

"There are some similarities, but we can't say for sure if they are tied (with the other four)," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says.

He says the nature of the fires and the time of night they are being set do follow the same pattern. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of leads for investigators to follow in any of the arsons, which is why police are asking the public to come forward with information.

Whether connected or not, Molendyk says the sheer volume of fires is worrisome.

"What is concerning to us is the number of fires being set intentionally in the downtown area," Molendyk says. "I would say we have seen a spike this summer."

Luckily, none of the fires have gotten out of hand, but Molendyk says it could only be a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

"Our biggest concern is that one of these fires is going to get out of control and cause loss of life or property," Molendyk says.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston.