Police tape marks a crime scene in this file photo.JOHN LEHMANN/The Globe and Mail
Police staked out a south Vancouver neighbourhood Wednesday, where they have linked three arsons in one week to Molotov cocktails used in gang warfare.
The choice of weapon is a departure from the gun violence Lower Mainland residents have seen in recent years, but police say the threat of death or injury to all residents is real, particularly since the third home to be hit was wrongly targeted.
Police have refused to confirm the names of the individuals and gangs involved, but a spokesman said the conflict involves drugs.
Three police cars could be seen parked in the area Wednesday.
The first blaze occurred shortly after 4 a.m. on Sept. 2. The home's residents woke up to a loud noise and flames in their living room.
A window remains partly boarded up and black smoke damage can be seen on the home's exterior.
A young man inside the home initially refused to answer the door. He eventually came out and told reporters to get off his property. Surveillance cameras could be seen installed at the back of the property.
The second fire occurred one block south, at about 3:40 a.m. on Sept. 4. The Molotov cocktail was thrown at a detached garage.
The third fire was set Tuesday, around 4 a.m.
Constable Brian Montague, a Vancouver police spokesman, said the third fire – which caused minor damage – was particularly concerning because the suspects targeted the wrong home.
"Because this home is in such close proximity to the other two fires, [police believe] that one of the other homes was actually the intended target and not this house. We believe that all of the arsons are the result of an ongoing gang conflict within the South Slope area of Vancouver," he said at a news conference.
"It's a concern for us, of course, because of the potential loss not only for property but the potential loss for life."
Robert Gordon, a criminology professor at Simon Fraser University, said Molotov cocktails can be a nasty and effective way to get back at gangland competitors, though they cause undue stress for innocent neighbours.
Prof. Gordon said Molotov cocktails can send a "spectacular message" if a gangster's home becomes fully engulfed – though that level has not been reached in this conflict. So far, no one has been injured.
Constable Montague said arson can be utilized for a number of reasons.
"It can be used as retaliation, but it's often used as a way to intimidate as well," he said.
Constable Montague said police are well acquainted with the gangsters involved in the dispute. He would not, however, confirm their names or affiliations.
The spokesman said police are taking a number of steps to mitigate the situation.
"We're doing a number of proactive things right now to try to prevent further incidents from happening. One of them is extra patrols in the area," he said. "One of the other tactics that we're using is meeting with the people that we think are involved, meeting not only with the victims but potential suspects as well, meeting with individuals from both of these groups, trying to seek some co-operation."
He quickly added: "I will say that co-operation is a challenge."