Man arrested after attempted arson outside Vancouver City Hall

A 36-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly trying to set a fire outside Vancouver City Hall late Friday night, police say.

Vancouver Police Department said they were called to the building at Cambie Street and West 12th Avenue around 10 p.m. after a witness reported seeing a man ignite what officers described as an incendiary device near the main entrance.

Sgt. Steve Addison said the suspect is not a Vancouver resident, and remains in custody as they recommend criminal charges.

"The witness was able to suppress the fire without it causing extensive damage to the entrance area," Addison said during a media briefing on Saturday.

He said the suspect allegedly used a Molotov cocktailto start the fire.

"We're working to understand what their motivation was, what led them to behave this wayand to determine whether or not this is linked to any other incidents that have occurred in Vancouver," Addison added.

While the building was closed to the public at the time, theVPD official said security staff were on site and are being treated as potential witnesses.

Just last month, in a separate incident, a minivan filled with containers of gasoline was set ablaze outside the city hall. A 78-year-old man was charged with arson in that case, and said it was an isolated incident and the suspect acted alone.