A series of arson cases across the city has spurred safety fears for some Winnipeggers.

“I’ve lived in this area for many years and there’s never been anything this close,” said Jo Millard. A nearby blaze in the 700 block of McMillan Avenue Tuesday caused damage estimated between $250,000 and $300,000.

Officers met with a homeowner at the scene around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 8. He said noises coming from an upstairs vacant suite woke him up.

He went up to check on it and saw a person running out the back and then spotted the fire in the suite, said police. Winnipeg police said the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 204-986-6813 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.

Along with the McMillan fire, a blaze in Richmond West Monday afternoon caused an estimated $155,000 in damage to two homes.

The arson strike force called that one suspicious too.

Firefighters said they’re concerned.

"Arson is the most dangerous kind of fire. You're going to have the highest number of fatalities resulting from arson fires, highest number of injuries to firefighters and the public," said Alex Forrest, president of the firefighters’ union.

“The firefighters have been dealing with this for months. We have been fighting fires at a level that is unprecedented even for Winnipeg," he said.

Police said arson is a particularly difficult crime to investigate because much of the evidence can be destroyed in a blaze. They said when they do solve one, it is often because of tips from the public.

"The common things we often think of that may lead to a suspect, be it fingerprints or DNA and that sort of thing, are often missing in the case of arson,” said Const. Eric Hofley.

Emergency responders said arsonists often strike in the middle of the night to inflict maximum damage when people are asleep.

On Sunday morning, crews battled nearly a dozen deliberately-set fires in St. Boniface.

Police said it’s too early to tell if the fires are the work of one person or a group of people, or if they’re even linked at all.

Because arsonists like to operate under cover of darkness, it’s a wise idea to install motion-activated security lights around your home. Firefighters also say to make sure debris or any potentially flammable items are removed from back lanes and from around garages.