SURREY — Surrey firefighters have fought three large fires so far this year and one of them is suspected to have been deliberately set.
"We're going to call it suspicious in nature at this time," said Surrey Assistant Fire Chief Steve Robinson.
Morning commuters in Cloverdale saw flashing lights along Highway 10 as firefighters fought a residential garage fire in the 16200-block. Nobody was injured. Police suspect arson. It was called in shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday.
"We have a suspect," Surrey RCMP Sgt. Paul Hayes said.
Meantime, investigators are trying to determine what caused the two other fires, both in Whalley.
The occupants of a duplex in the 12500-block of 96th Avenue escaped without injury as firefighters took about 30 minutes to extinguish the roaring blaze, which erupted at about 11 p.m. Monday.
And 20 firefighters fought a fire at 12:30 p.m. Saturday that ripped through an abandoned two-storey house in the 14200-block of 103rd Avenue. Nobody was injured.
"It was boarded up at the time," Robinson said.
"It has been a bit of a busy new year," he added.
tom.zytaruk@thenownewspaper.com