Nearly 20 cars ‘intentionally’ set on fire in 2 separate incidents in Markham: police

A York Regional Police patch is shown in Aurora, Ont., on December 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Police are searching for witnesses after more than a dozen cars were intentionally set on fire in two different instances in around the same area in Markham.

York Regional Police were called to the first incident early morning on Jan. 21, at a business near Green Lane and Guardsman Road, east of Bayview Avenue.

When officers arrived, they said they saw three vehicles “fully engulfed in flames” and damage to the business.

Markham Fire doused the flames and determined that an accelerant was used to purposefully set the fire.

Just over a week later, at around 5 a.m. on Monday, another fire was ignited at a different address in the same area. This time, 16 vehicles were damaged, and police said an accelerant “was used to feed the flames.”

Both buildings were unoccupied at the time of these incidents, police said, and no injuries were reported.

“Each incident is being investigated individually and while the arsons did occur in close proximity to each other, there is no evidence to directly link them,” police said in a release issued Friday.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7241, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.