Suspicious fires ‘bring community together’

WATERLOO — Every time there’s another suspicious fire in Waterloo, it puts people more on edge.

“The anxiety level goes up and people kind of wonder when the next one is going to be,” said Colleen Howey, who volunteers with the Lakeshore North Neighbourhood Association. “I’m concerned.”

She hasn’t seen any fires near her home, but feels for residents who have seen flames near their homes.

“Your sense of security when something like that happens is gone. And that’s not a good thing. That’s not what we want for our community. We want to feel secure,” she said.

To help residents feel more secure, a second public safety meeting has been called in the wake of up to 11 suspicious fires that caused more than $500,000 in damage.

Police and firefighters will attend Sept. 7 with safety tips and to answer questions. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Albert McCormick Community Centre.

“I think that the public is extremely concerned,” Waterloo Fire Chief Richard Hepditch said. “The purpose of the meeting is to bring the community together.”

Fires set between July 6 and Aug. 13 were typically discovered early in the morning. They include fires at houses under construction, sheds set ablaze, a torched car, and a fence that burned to the ground. No one has been hurt. One blaze was in Kitchener.

Residents are reminded to call police about fires or suspicious activity, and to secure homes, vehicles, equipment and fence gates. Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Lock away any combustibles such as trash, brush and gas cans that are kept in a shed.

Police are investigating the fires. They have released photos of a man on a bicycle who they want to speak to, and they have asked the public for surveillance videos.

Waterloo has extended the hours that it lights certain parks.

“That’s a wonderful thing to do, to put that lighting up, because peace of mind is very important,” Howey said.

Police and firefighters attended a community safety meeting held earlier in August.

“The public has provided so much information and inquiry. It’s very reassuring on our end to know that people are engaged,” Hepditch said.

Police can’t confirm if all 11 fires are connected. They are investigating locations, patterns and timing, as well as suspects identified by the public.