A 24-year-old Saanich man has been arrested in connection with a fire that caused extensive damage to a house. Neighbours saw a man running from the home and were instrumental in helping police identify a suspect, Saanich police said.
Saanich police have determined that the fire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon at about 2:45 at the back of the home in the 200-block of Sims Avenue, near Tillicum Road, is suspicious.
No one was injured in the blaze and there was no one else in the house when the fire was set, said Det.-Sgt. Damian Kowalewich, spokesman for Saanich police.
One neighbour who declined to give his name said he was working in his backyard when he smelled smoke. Eventually, he saw smoke billowing in the air and thought a tree behind the home was on fire.
The neighbour called 911 and said several others in the neighbourhood ran to the home and knocked on the front door to make sure no one was home.
The neighbour said he saw a man flee the home on a bike. He called to someone down Sims Avenue to stop the man, but before that person could act, the man on the bike whizzed by and turned left toward the Trans-Canada Highway.
The neighbour recognized the man as someone who has lived at the home on and off over the years.
The bungalow was behind police tape on Thursday as fire inspectors gathered evidence.
The damage was concentrated inside the home on the upper level, Kowalewich said. The value of the damage has not yet been determined.
Besides helping police identify a suspect, the neighbours’ quick action ensured firefighters could put out the flames, which had spread to the roof, Kowalewich said.
A suspect was arrested early Thursday after being spotted on the street by an officer.
The man is in custody and was set to appear in court on Thursday.
Kowalewich said the investigation is continuing. “Our detectives are still gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses who were in the area at the time.”
