Will faster demolition prevent more vacant home fires?

Two more suspicious fires were started inside vacant Vancouver homes this past weekend. The first blaze broke out Saturday evening at a duplex along the Cambie corridor. The second fire was sparked Sunday afternoon at an abandoned home in Point Grey.

Like many of the almost 30 other Vancouver properties where suspicious fires have broken out this year, the duplex at Cambie and West 62nd Avenue went up in flames while awaiting redevelopment. “It’s something I don’t want to see, I mean it shouldn’t happen here,” said neighbour Dan Sicard. The longer the homes sit empty before being torn down, the more attractive they become to potential squatters or vandals and neighbours want to see the city tighten up the development permit to demolition process.

READ MORE: Another vacant home burns down in Vancouver

“I’d like to see the process speed up because you get places that are empty, obviously you’re going to have vagrants around, things like that and that’s not safe for a family,” said Cambie corridor resident Kerry Johl.

Jennifer Campbell, who rents a home for sale in a land assembly along Cambie Street, said she agrees, even though it would mean she might have to move out her family out sooner when the house is eventually sold. “There are a lot of vacancies and there has been actually a lot of fires happening so I think that it probably should be sped up.”

WATCH MORE: The Vancouver fire department has rung the alarm on dozens of vacant home fires so far this year across the city and police say they are investigating at least 25 of them as suspicious. Capt. Jonathan Gormick with Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services joined Global News Morning to talk about possible solutions.

3:19 VFRS considering possible solutions to vacant home fires

The City of North Vancouver is trying to expedite the demolition of homes awaiting redevelopment after two empty home fires in the Moodyville neighbourhood in less than two weeks. Fire Chief Dan Pistilli will be meeting with the city of North Vancouver’s chief administrative officer Monday, to discuss how to deal with vacant homes as they await a development permit – “the sooner we can get these properties knocked down and just to a flat lot prior to the development stage, it’s much safer for everybody,” said Pistilli. Until then, developers are being urged to board up vacant properties and step up security patrols.

READ MORE: Fire breaks out at massive $16M home in Vancouver

The city of Vancouver is also trying to shorten the gap that exposes vacant homes to danger and will consider bylaw changes if necessary. According to Vision Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs, a task force including Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, Vancouver Police and city building inspectors, has been tackling the issue ever since empty homes on Cambie Street started going up in flames about one year ago. “We want the home to be used as long as possible but once permits are out there it should be demolished,” said Meggs.

“No one wants to risk a firefighter’s life and safety if no one’s inside.”