It was actually a coincidence that the Vanier Community Association held its Annual General Meeting at Fire Station #57 on Beechwood Avenue.
Organizers used the same location last year.
But the setting became more appropriate as the topic of conversation turned to the Vanier arsonist.
Members of the Ottawa Fire Service and Ottawa Police Department were on hand to answer questions about five suspicious fires that happened within blocks of each other over the past 10 weeks. Investigators believe they were all set by the same person or group.
If residents came to the meeting looking for a solution, however, they were disappointed.
Sgt. David Christie of the Ottawa Police is the lead investigator on the case. He says so far they’ve had plenty of leads but none has resulted in a suspect. He concedes it will be a tough case to crack.
“We’ll never say impossible, but it is very difficult,” says Christie.
The problem is the lack of clues.
Each fire was started by someone walking by a relatively dark and quiet street late at night. All they had to do was set an available recycling box or garbage bin on fire, which then spread to the house or building. They didn’t bring any combustible materials beyond a lighter or some matches. And they didn’t have to manipulate any materials to set the fire beyond what was already at hand. Investigators call it a “crime of convenience.”
Christie says the police will continue looking for new leads until one of them pans out. “Just a good tip from the public,” he says. “Someone who may have said something, someone who may just have been looking out the window and saw somebody wandering onto a property.”
In the meantime, the public is encouraged to take steps to help prevent the next fire, not the least of which is to keep recycling boxes and garbage bins inside or out of sight.
They’re also encouraged to leave outdoor lights on to help illuminate the street at night, and keep a look out for any suspicious activity.
They are also encouraged to adopt standard fire safety practices like making sure all smoke and CO detectors are working, and make sure you have an escape plan for everyone in the house.
