Fires are being deliberately set more often in Vancouver this spring.

According to Vancouver police, there's been an 83 percent increase in arson crimes from March until the middle of May, when compared with statistics from the previous year.

“We don’t want the community to be fearful, however, it is important for the public to be aware of the issue and notify police if they see suspicious activity," Const. Tina Visintin said in a VPD news release.

The VPD furnished three examples:

• an April 6 fire set in a bin that spread to a nearby building, causing more than $1 million in damage;

• the torching of a 100-metre hedge on April 22;

• and a fire on April 25 behind a building next to a natural-gas meter.

“These are just a few examples of the arsons that police are investigating,” Visintin said.  “An act like this is extremely dangerous and reckless. Investigators are working hard to catch the person or people responsible.”

The increase in fires coincides with the pandemic, which was declared on March 11 by the World Health Organization.

All fires that cause property damage, injuries, or fatalities must be reported to the provincial office of the fire commissioner.