Arson to blame for St. John's vehicle fire that spread to houses and sent man to hospital
A fire in St. John's that started in a pickup truck, spread to two houses and sent one man to hospital is now being investigated as an arson, according to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
They've released video of a man they say is a suspect.
On Aug. 1 at about 3:15 a.m., emergency crews responded to a vehicle fire on Athlone Place in the east end of the city. While crews were en route, the fire spread to two neighbouring houses.
When they arrived, they found a "medical emergency," Steve Morris, acting platoon chief of the St. John's Regional Fire Department, told CBC News at the scene.
The man who owned the truck tried to move his trailer across the street when he saw the fire was spreading.
"Unfortunately, he never made it right across the street and subsequently, he ended up in the hospital," said Morris.
Police are investigating the incident as an arson and on Thursday afternoon, they released video showing a man crouching beside a burning pickup truck and then running away.
In an accompanying release, police said the video was taken at the scene, and that the fire is still under investigation.
With files from Fred Hutton
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