Flammable liquid is suspected of having been thrown at four villas and three apartment buildings in different parts of the Stockholm area and then set alight.
– All fires are suspected to be arson, says Daniel Wikdahl, press spokesperson at the Stockholm Police.
The first fire started at 01.18 in a villa in Glömsta in Huddinge, followed by another fire in a villa in Flemingsberg just three minutes later.
At 01.35 a villa in Enskededalen started to burn, also after flammable liquid was thrown against the facade.
– In the first two fires there was no major damage, but in Enskededalen the residents managed to put out the visible part of the fire, but it turned out that it had spread into the foundation so that villa is now uninhabitable, says Daniel Wikdahl.
Minutes in between
Just over an hour later, a fire started on a plot of land in Södertälje and a minute later in the stairwell of an apartment building in Jordbro in Haninge.
Just ten minutes later, at 02.52, a gate to another apartment building in the same area was set on fire.
Shortly before four in the morning, the police received an alarm about another arson, this time in an apartment building in Råcksta in Vällingby.
– A fire has started in an apartment a little higher up, which has produced heavy smoke, says Daniel Wikdahl.
This fire is also suspected to be arson.
No injuries
– Fortunately, no one was injured in the fires. In all cases, we secured traces that showed that they were arson, but with slightly different approaches, says Daniel Wikdahl.
The crime classifications are currently arson and attempted arson, and the police cannot say if there are any suspects for the fires.
– Unfortunately, I cannot comment on that at the moment, but we certainly suspect that some of them have some kind of connection, says Daniel Wikdahl.
– I find it hard to imagine that it is a pure coincidence that so many fires occur at the same time and in all cases it seems that flammable liquid has been thrown on the houses and lit, says Daniel Wikdahl.
Was home
In most of the houses, the residents were at home when the perpetrators set fire to the home.
– I cannot comment on witnesses. Right now our work looks the same at all the different crime scenes with cordons, technicians and door knocking, says Daniel Wikdahl.
It is the second night in a row that the Stockholm area has been exposed to arson.
During the night to Monday, fires are suspected to have been started in an apartment in Hässelby in western Stockholm and in a residence in Huddinge.
In the fire in Hässelby, it is suspected that flammable liquid was thrown into the home. Both incidents are being investigated as aggravated arson.