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Police are investigating three suspected arson cases after warehouses belonging to a local building material supplier were set on fire in one week.
The first incident happened on May 3. Peel police and fire services responded to reports of a fire at the FlooReno Building Supplies warehouse in Mississauga, near South Sheridan Way and Winston Churchill Blvd., at around 12:50 a.m.
Police said no one was inside at the time and no injuries were reported.
Less than an hour later, Toronto fire crews were called to 70 Norfinch Dr. in North York for reports of another fire at a FlooReno warehouse. There were no occupants or injuries in that incident either, police said.
The third incident happened on May 6. Police were called about a fire at a FlooReno location in Scarborough near 125 Nantucket Blvd.
Police would not confirm if the three fires were related to each other.
On Friday, Peel and Toronto police confirmed they were investigating the three incidents as arson.
‘Significant’ inventory damage: company president
Abad Hamam, the president of FlooReno Building Supplies, said it was “shocking” to be woken up at 1 a.m. to surveillance footage of one of the fires.
The footage was shared with CBC News. In one instance, video surveillance captured a person walking around with what appeared to be a jerry can, setting the Mississauga warehouse on fire before running off while security alarms rang through the building.
The fires caused “significant inventory damage” in the millions, said Hamam.
In a statement, FlooReno said the estimated cost was around $5 million in initial damages.
“We’ve been in this business since 1982. My father started the business and my mom is involved, and we’re second generation — even our children are involved,” said Hamam.
“We were confused, why is this happening … and why are we being targeted?”
Hamam said the incidents have spurred concern within his family as well as employees for their safety.
“Our families are scared right now,” he said. “They don’t even want to sleep in our houses. We don’t know who’s after us [and] why.”
Both Peel police and Toronto police say the investigations into the fires are ongoing. Anyone with information is being asked to contact investigators.