The Edmonton Police Service says it has been investigating several potential arsons in south Edmonton since May.

The latest incident involved a suspected arson reported in the King Edward Park area on Thursday evening.

Police say the first in the series was a suspicious fire in Edmonton’s Strathearn neighborhood in May.

Since then, six other suspicious fires have been reported to police in the Cloverdale, King Edward Park and Holyrood areas.

Edmonton Fire said Friday the King Edward Park fire started in a dumpster and spread to the adjacent detached garage around 10:30 p.m.

No injuries were reported and damage is estimated at $50,000.

The cause has not yet been determined and a deliberately started fire has not been ruled out, according to Edmonton Fire.

EPS said in a news release that officers will “proactively patrol the affected areas of southwest and southeast Edmonton.”

Gaslight Project

Edmonton police have arrested and charged six more people in connection with a series of extortion attacks targeting the South Asian community.

Project Gaslight is a police investigation into incidents targeting business owners in Edmonton, allegedly carried out by a group of local suspects led from India.

Forty incidents have been identified in connection with the scheme, including an arson attack at an apartment in the Cavanagh neighborhood of southwest Edmonton in late July.

Police said Friday that the fires in the Cloverdale, King Edward Park and Holyrood neighborhoods were not linked to the Gaslight project at this time.

“While we are unsure at this time if these incidents are related, we are actively investigating seven suspicious fires which fortunately did not cause injury to anyone,” said Acting Staff Sgt. »said Chantelle Kortbeek in the press release.

Ward Métis Council. Ashley Salvador said she addressed the concerns of residents in the area.

“I am deeply saddened and alarmed to hear about the structure fires that are occurring in these communities. Obviously, these are terrifying and distressing incidents for a community to experience,” she told CBC during ‘an interview.

“I know people in the neighborhood are scared, and that’s understandable. They’re shaken and looking for answers.”