OLDS — The Olds Fire Department is urging people not to sleep in their travel trailers overnight to ensure their safety.
That call comes as RCMP investigate two cases of arson that occurred overnight on Saturday, Sept. 19 and early in the morning of Monday, Sept. 21.
Police believe these incidents are linked and may be related to a series of intentional fires set in Olds as far back as February.
In the Saturday incident, a suspect tried to light the back side of a travel trailer on fire in the back alley of 55th Avenue, south of 43rd Street.
“The fire appears to have extinguished on its own, however there is fairly significant damage to the unit,” an RCMP news release says.
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On Monday morning, RCMP were dispatched to help Olds firefighters as they dealt with a garbage can on fire in the back alley of Silverthorn Road, just east of Shannon Drive.
That garbage can burned to the ground and damage was inflicted on a nearby garden shed.
RCMP are asking Olds residents to check any surveillance footage they may have for the area north of Highway 27 and east of 57th Avenue in the early morning hours on these dates to see if any suspicious person or activity is seen.
It’s believed the suspect was on foot when these crimes were committed.
Police are asking residents to be “vigilant in reporting suspicious people or activity to RCMP.”
They’d like residents to speak to their roommates or families regarding these incidents and report any information they may have to Olds RCMP or to Crime Stoppers if they want to remain anonymous.
