A 32-year-old Toronto man is in custody following a series of small fires in the city’s downtown.
Toronto police responded to six incidents overnight of dumpsters and garbage cans being set on fire.
In one case, the front door of the Church of the Holy Trinity at Bay and Dundas was engulfed in flames.
Fire crews managed to quickly extinguish the blaze and the damage was limited to the front west entrance of the church.
“Police called early in the morning and said there had been an arson attempt at the church,” Rev. Sherman Hesselgrave told reporters outside the church Wednesday.
“I was concerned because 40 years ago, when the Eaton warehouses were nearby here, there was an arson and the church nearly burned down. I was dreading it was something serious like that. But luckily it was a west doors.”
Hesselgrave said the church had been looking into replacing the doors which cost up to $30,000.
Firefighters also responded to an exterior condo building fire on Dalhousie Street.
No injuries were reported in any of the fires.
Jordan Omar Cuthbert has been charged with six counts of arson, five counts of mischief under $5,000, and mischief over $5,000. He was scheduled to appear in a Toronto court Wednesday.
With files from Nick Westoll