Saanich police believe two suspicious fires Thursday could be connected to a series of suspected arsons set a week ago in the same area.
Sgt. Steve Eassie said investigators are looking closely at a dumpster fire in a covered parking garage at the Island Home Centre on Tolmie Avenue. Overhead sprinklers helped contain the damage of the afternoon blaze.
The parking garage is directly across Blanshard Street from the ABC Country Restaurant destroyed a week ago in a string of suspected arsons. Four separate fires also damaged three dumpsters, two sheds and a condominium suite.
Eassie said the proximity of the parking garage fire to last week’s blazes leads police to believe they could be related.
Saanich police are also looking at a fire Thursday morning at the Vacation Inn and Convention Centre — formerly the Tally-Ho Motor Inn — less than a kilometre away on Douglas Street, near Finlayson Street.
“We’ll obviously be liaising with investigators from Victoria and comparing notes,” Eassie said.
The Vacation Inn blaze was caused by paper towels ignited in a pair of bathroom garbage cans. Damage was about $10,000.
Staff at the hospitality complex praised the quick work of fire crews. Business was only briefly affected.
