A suspicious fire damaged four vehicles in a parking lot underneath a Nanaimo apartment building over the weekend.
Emergency crews rushed to the zero block of Prideaux Street on Sunday, March 30, just before 5:30 a.m., to a report of a sound of an explosion and cars on fire, said Stu Kenning, deputy chief with Nanaimo Fire Rescue.
He said crews found four vehicles on fire in a carport-style space underneath the building and firefighters assessed some risk to the structure.
"When they got on scene there was initial concern, they started the evacuation right away, but they quickly got the fire under control and they checked for any extension and there was none," Kenning said.
He said there was some fire damage to beams, but the building remains structurally sound and as only light smoke entered the building, no residents were displaced.
Police began their investigation immediately, as "cars don't just magically catch on fire usually when they're parked," Kenning said.
Reserve Const. Gary O'Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, said police were informed that a young man was reportedly spotted close to the scene and later running away.
"It appears that one person was seen approaching the area where the fire [broke] out, and leaving shortly thereafter," he said. "So this person is certainly a person of interest."
The young man was described as having "puffy hair" and was wearing a green jacket with black patches on the sleeves. Anyone with information is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP's non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and cite file No. 2025-9140.
