Surrey police investigate city hall fire believed to have started in a portable toilet

Surrey police say a fire started at city hall on Monday morning, and explain it is believed to have sparked inside of a portable toilet next to the building.

Police say alarms were going off and sprinklers were activated at Surrey City Hall early Monday morning after a portable toilet fire made its way into the building. The Surrey Police Service said the fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. “Frontline members arrived and observed the southwest side of the building engulfed in smoke,” the SPS said, in a statement. “Surrey Fire Services advised SPS officers that the fire had likely started outside city hall in a portable toilet, located against the building, which then caused the building’s exterior glass to break due to the heat.”

No one was injured by the fire, and police said fire damage to city hall doesn’t present any public risk. Police said they believe it to be human caused and are appealing to the public for assistance in identifying a man captured on a security camera before the fire started. The SPS shared a photo of the alleged suspect, who they describe as a white male between the ages of 45 and 65, with short hair and a slim build.

“He was wearing a light-coloured ballcap, a dark-coloured shirt with a graphic on the front, dark-coloured shorts, and slides with light-coloured socks. He had a red and white lanyard around his neck and a dark-coloured fanny pack around his waist,” police added. Anyone who recognizes this man or has any information related to the fire has been asked to call the SPS at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 26-72511.