Charges laid in string of arsons at Camosun

Man, 30, accused of five counts of property damage at Interurban campus

A Victoria man has been charged in connection with a series of arsons at the Camosun College Interurban campus on Sunday.

Aaron Vince Raschke, 30, is charged with three counts of break and enter, five counts of damaging the property by fire or explosion, theft of a sweater and mischief.

Although Raschke was brought to the Victoria court house Tuesday afternoon, he did not have a bail hearing or appear in court. He will remain in custody at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre until he appears by video in court Monday morning.

The Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence, a facility used by many of Canada’s best athletes, the Centre for Business and Access, and the Trades Centre were closed Monday and Tuesday.

The PISE building is expected to be open for classes today; however, access to the first floor will remain limited. The Centre for Business and Access and the Trades Centre will be open at their usual times. Air quality in the affected buildings tested well below WorkSafe B.C. exposure limits.

At 2:20 a.m. Sunday, alarm bells went off and Saanich firefighters raced to put out the blaze at the sports facility. A fire measuring about three square metres in size engulfed the reception desk in the fitness centre. A smaller fire had been set against a wall and cork board in the foyer.

The sprinkler system went off, preventing the fire from spreading. Crews extinguished the fires and worked to clear the smoke. Near the foyer, firefighters found a door with a smashed window.

About 20 minutes later, an alarm went off at the Centre for Business and Access. Firefighters responded and realized it was an intruder alarm, meaning someone had broken into the building.

A Saanich police dog tracked down someone running from the building.

Firefighters found another smashed door in the cafeteria area of the building, where a bulletin board and papers were burned.