Halton police have reached out to the Alton community to address safety concerns following two major fires in the north Burlington neighbourhood in recent months.
On Dec. 4, fire tore through several houses on Lodi Road, near Walker’s Line and Dundas Street. Four houses under construction were damaged, along with one occupied home. A smaller fire had been reported and extinguished inside one of the destroyed vacant homes on Dec. 2.
In August, the Ontario Fire Marshal was called in to investigate a blaze on Koenig Road in the same Alton neighbourhood that caused an estimated $8 million in damage. In total, eight homes were impacted by the fire; only one was occupied and the other seven were under construction.
“On behalf of the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), I am writing to personally convey our recognition and understanding of the impact that the recent fires in your neighbourhood have had on your and your community’s collective sense of security,” said Div. 3 Inspector Raf Skwarka in a letter dated Dec. 8.
Skwarka also noted that the HRPS is working alongside the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal, the City of Burlington and the Burlington Fire Department “to investigate these incidents, to identify those responsible, and to hold them to account.”
The HRPS is stepping up the number of patrols in the neighbourhood, and members of the service’s Community Mobilization and District Response team are engaged with Sundial Homes, the developer that owns the properties under construction, to support their crime prevention efforts. Additionally, the Victim Services unit is available to residents who require support.
Skwarka’s letter also appealed to residents who may have information about the crimes, including dash cam footage of the Walker’s Line and Dundas Street area or the Dundas Street GO stop/carpool lot, to contact the District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2385. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers Halton at 1-800-222-8477 or through www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
Residents who observe any suspicious activity should call 9-1-1 immediately,
