Police investigating possibility of arson in recent string of convenience store fires

Police are investigating whether a series of recent fires at convenience stores in north Winnipeg neighbourhoods wereset deliberately.

Those includes a fire that gutted the Quickie Mart at the intersection of Selkirk Avenue and McGregor Street overnight Thursday, as well as a March 20 fire on Sargent Avenue, in the Daniel McIntyre area, and another at the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Main Street on March 17.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Claude Chancy confirmedto CBC on Saturday that all three fires involved convenience stores, andare under investigation by the major crimes unit.

There's no indication at this point whether the fires are connected in any way.

One person was sent to hospital in critical condition in the March 20 fire on Sargent. No injuries were reported in the other two fires.

Keith Horn, chairman of the North End Business Improvement Zone, said the situation has businesses in the area worried.

"Is it somebody that is going around setting all businesses on fire, so dowe have to be worried for our business, or is it just a targeted business?" he said in a Saturday interview with CBC.

"With no answers, everybody is speculating about what it could be."

Horn said any sort of fire is bad for the area, as it will push insurance rates up.

"It's also harder to attract new businesses down here," he said. "Places keep going up on fire."

The United Firefighters of Winnipegtold CBC News earlier this month its members are feeling the strain of an extremely high number of fires so far this year, leading to longer response times.

Police said the investigations into the three fires are still in the early stages.