Crews fight 3 ‘suspicious’ Langley fires within hours in same neighbourhood

The Township of Langley Fire Department was kept busy by a series of fires early Tuesday morning.

Deputy Chief Cory Parker tells 1130 NewsRadio that crews were called to three separate vacant structure fires near 200 Street and 76 Avenue within the span of just a few hours.

Parker says crews received the first call around 3 a.m., with the next call coming about an hour later. At about 5:20 a.m., the third fire was called in about 10 blocks away from the second.

“I would say it’s a fair estimate to say that they’re possibly suspicious,” Parker told 1130 NewsRadio. “The RCMP have taken control of all three scenes, and we’re in the process of dealing with trying to find the owners.”

“It’ll be a while before any investigators can get inside, due to the hazardous nature of all the fire, from a gassing point of view. So, hopefully later today, they’ll be able to get in there to have a look around,” Parker added.

While investigators wait to begin their investigation, Parker says people living in the neighbourhood should remain aware of their surroundings.

“Be aware. If you see something suspicious or suspicious people at different times of the day, don’t hesitate to call police or the fire department if you see an actual fire,” he explained.

“The RCMP is aware of some of these areas, as we have a lot of turnover in the residences, so there’s a lot of vacant properties. So, just be aware of your surroundings and call if you see something suspicious.”

Stopping short of calling the incidents an act of arson, Parker says the investigation will play out over the next day or so, when there should be some answers.

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In a statement, the Langley RCMP says all three homes were slated for demolition.

“Investigation into these fires are currently on-going, and due to the close proximity to all of these incidents, we are treating this as suspicious in nature,” said Sgt. Zynal Sharoom.

Mounties are asking anyone who was in the area of 200 Street and 76 Avenue between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. to contact the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200.

With files from Dean Recksiedler.