‘Scary situation’: More suspicious fires in Norfolk County and, for the first time, residential units are impacted

Norfolk OPP are investigating a trio of suspicious fires overnight. With more, here's CTV London's Gerry Dewan.

Three fires in three hours. The first happened just before midnight on Tuesday, targeting a vacant home on Concession 6 Townshend, north of Waterford.

The second was at a gas station, south of Waterford, on the northeast corner of Norfolk County Highway 24 and Forestry Farm Road.

The third was at an abandoned barn southeast of Teeterville, on Brantford Road.

That fire was reported shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday.

OPP Const. Andrew Gamble said they can’t definitively link the fires, but are following all avenues in their investigations, “These fires are under investigation as suspicious. And they are three in a series of fires now dating back to October, which, again, are all under investigation as suspicious.”

To this point, there have been a dozen suspicious fires.

Until last night, all the fires were at abandoned buildings. But the gas bar was an active business and had residential units attached to it, which had to be evacuated.

Gamble told CTV News, “I know there were several occupants but, again, no injuries to report. We haven’t seen that yet. All of the structures previously have been unoccupied. So, scary situation.”

All of the fire scenes were held by Norfolk OPP throughout the day to allow forensics team members to get inside and process for evidence.

Gamble said numerous resources have to be dedicated to each investigation. He also pointed to the fire crews required to contain the blazes, ensuring they don’t spread to other structures or put others at risk, “We do give all the credit in the world to our local firefighters. They are volunteers. That’s important to understand. And they respond to calls for service around the clock, battling really dangerous blazes, battling subzero temperatures.”

For the first time in their investigations, police have a description of a person of interest spotted at the gas bar fire.

Gamble said the individual was described as a very thin, white male, “There was an individual who was observed in the area around the time of the incident. And that individual was described as a Caucasian male in his 30s, wearing a hooded sweatshirt or hoodie and a face covering.”

Police are asking anyone who may have interacted with the man or can provide information about him to contact them.

Previous fires

• Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at approximately 10:38 p.m. - Windham East Quarter Line Road, Simcoe.
• Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at approximately 1:03 a.m. - Windam Road 13, Simcoe.
• Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at approximately 10:19 p.m. - Fourteenth Street West, Simcoe.
• Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at approximately 12:03 a.m. - 10th Concession Road, Langton.
• Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, at approximately 4:09 a.m. - Highway 24 near Concession 11 Townsend.
• Thursday, Dec.19, 2024, at approximately 11:40 p.m. - Concession 10 Townsend, Waterford.
• Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at approximately 12:33 a.m. - St. John’s Road West, Simcoe.
• Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, at approximately 3:30 a.m. - Delhi
• Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, at approximately 9:45 p.m. - 1st Concession road, Port Rowan
• Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Concession 6 Townsend, Waterford
• Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at approximately 12:10 a.m., Highway 24, Norfolk
• Wednesday Jan, 22, 2025, at approximately 2:20 a.m., Brantford Road, Norfolk