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A central Edmonton community is on edge after a home was destroyed in an apparent arson — with notes left on neighbouring properties demanding money.
The fire is one of two in central Edmonton in the past month that police have deemed suspicious.
Jacqueline Petrie, who witnessed the fire in the Cloverdale neighbourhood early Thanksgiving Sunday, said the community is “unsettled” after learning it was an arson and part of an apparent extortion plot.
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“People are rightfully frightened. They’re worried — how random this is, and how do you protect yourself, short of sitting awake in your house, monitoring the front and back of your home? You can do some things, but you can’t be vigilant 24/7.”
Fire crews responded around 3:30 a.m. Sunday to the home near 95 Street and 97 Avenue. The flames tore through the house, though the four occupants managed to escape safely.
Police later found handwritten notes at neighbouring homes demanding Bitcoin money transfers.
Investigators have since tied the notes to a similar fire in the nearby Holyrood neighbourhood a month prior.
In that case, a vehicle was torched early Sept. 23 at a home near 77 Street and 95 Avenue. A handwritten note was found on the property’s doorstep demanding cryptocurrency. Police say the handwriting is “similar” to the notes found on doorsteps near the Cloverdale fire.
In a statement, EPS Det. Sean Thorimbert said it is still unclear whether the incidents are “directly related.”
“We are hopeful that members of these impacted communities will be able to provide information that will assist with our efforts to identify anyone who might be responsible for these fires,” he said, adding residents should “stay vigilant and mindful” of unusual activity in their neighbourhoods.
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