Police in west-end Toronto think they might have an arsonist on their hands after two homes reported suspicious fires early Wednesday morning.
The first call came in just after 3 a.m. when a resident noticed a wooden lawn decoration was pushed up against the door of a home and lit on fire.
He quickly notified the homeowner who put out the fire.
"It was intentional, a symbol because they are blocking the front door of my house," said Francisco Rico Martinez, the owner of the Oakwood Avenue home.
"To wake up to a fire in front of your door...your children inside, all your belongings, your life...it's very frightening," he said.
Firefighters were called to another home in the Oakwood and St. Clair Avenues area just minutes after the first occurrence.
A fire was set at the back of the house and while emergency crews managed to put out the blaze, the house still sustained about $100,000 in damage.
The owner of that house was alerted to the fire when the sound of his dog barking woke him up. He saw an orange glow and thought it might be the sunrise but he quickly realized it was his back porch that was ablaze.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney
