Wellington county building fires consistent with serial arson, says profiler

Looking at a map of abandoned structure fires in Wellington county, serial arsonist profiler Ed Nordskog sees some interesting things.

"We're looking for links and commonalities," he told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris.

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"The link in this case appears to be the target of the attacks: vacant, abandoned structures, semi-rural area, the time of day would be a link in a pattern," he said.

"Once we find those links, now we start to think that we have a series."

Nordskog works with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department in California, and is the author of Torchered Minds — Case Histories of Notorious Serial Arsonists. He has reviewed more than 900 cases involving serial arsonists.

Nordskog said in his experience, investigators first determine the area where the fires are being set.

"It's well known, all serial criminals of every type work in comfort zones or specific areas that they're comfortable with," noting investigators then look for patterns and clusters in that area.

He didn't want to step on any toes when it comes to the OPP and the Ontario Fire Marshal Office, but he noted, "If this map is accurate and your information is accurate, you have a decent case."

Suspicious fires since fall 2016

Nordskog spoke to The Morning Edition after five suspicious fires in a 14 hour period in Rockwood and Erin.

There has been a series of fires at abandoned buildings in Wellington county since September 2016. That prompted the OPP to issue a warning to the public in October to lock their doors, windows and vehicles, regularly check vacant buildings and leave the lights on outside.

The fire marshal's office is also looking for any link between those fires.

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Andrea Gaynor, an investigator with the Ontario Fire Marshal, said in a previous interview there are similarities: fires took place in abandoned buildings without electricity or other fuel sources connected, which narrows down the cause of the fires.

Since the fires have occurred in relatively remote locations, Gaynor said this suggests who ever started the fires had transportation to get there.

"Once you start eliminating certain things, you're not left with a lot. So, you know, we have to look at, is there transient people that are going around, are there trespassers, are there squatters? When the fire department goes there, they have to be cognizant of that," Gaynor said.

Crime Stoppers has upped its reward for tips involving these suspicious fires, from $50 to $1,000.

"Obviously with the number of fires that have taken place in Wellington county, there's been concern and that's what brought it to the attention of our board of directors," program coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter told CBC News in February about the reward increase.

"What it comes down to is, there's no such thing as a victimless crime," Bowers-Peter said. "A lot of people will look at this and say, 'So, it's a fire and it burned down an abandoned building, but the fact of the matter is ... those properties actually do belong [to someone]."

'A very common thing'

Nordskog said in his work, fire chiefs everywhere hesitate to call someone a serial arsonist, but "it's a very common thing."

He noted it's a myth that arsonists stand around to watch things burn. They may, however, return later to survey the result.

"Arsonists of every kind, even the most mentally deranged ones, leave the scene when they set the fire. Almost all of them," he said.

"Most will return within a 24 to 48 hour period. Some return because they feel guilty, some return to see the results, some may return to gloat and see the excitement."

He said anger is the number one motive fuelling a serial arsonist, with frustration as a second theme.

"People tend to light fires similarly for most of their lives," he said.

"A serial arsonist will light fires most of their life if they're a true serial arsonist," he added.

"At some point, one of their fires does become bigger, and that's when they're focused on and that's usually when they're caught."