A man is in custody for deliberately igniting a BMW near a Johnstone primary school while another suspect faces multiple arson counts after a blaze destroyed a house in Ajax.
In the early hours of a Thursday, emergency crews were called to a startling scene on Buchanan Street in Johnstone, Renfrewshire. At approximately 3:15 a.m., a grey BMW Series 3 was found engulfed in flames just steps away from St Margaret’s Primary School.
The fire quickly attracted the attention of local residents and prompted a swift police and fire-service response, sealing off the area to protect children and nearby pedestrians.
The incident sparked a broader investigation that would later uncover a second, geographically distant case of suspected arson.
Within weeks, authorities in the Greater Toronto Area announced that a young man from Ajax had been linked to a devastating house fire and to a separate blaze that targeted the home of a federal politician in Scarborough. Both cases illustrate how arson investigations can span jurisdictions and involve a complex web of charges.
Johnstone BMW arson case
Investigators determined that the BMW had been deliberately set on fire, classifying the act as arson the criminal offense of intentionally igniting property. The vehicle’s location, adjacent to St Margaret’s Primary School, heightened concerns for public safety and prompted an immediate lockdown of the surrounding streets. Firefighters extinguished the inferno, but the car was left a charred shell. CCTV footage from nearby businesses captured the vehicle moments before the blaze, providing valuable evidence for the ensuing police inquiry.
Arrest and legal steps
On a subsequent Saturday, police announced that a 43-year-old man had been taken into custody in connection with the incident. He was formally charged with deliberately setting the BMW alight and is scheduled to appear before Paisley Sheriff Court on the following Monday. The charge carries a significant custodial component, reflecting the seriousness of targeting a vehicle near a school environment. Prosecutors have indicated that the suspect will face a thorough trial that may set a precedent for handling similar offenses in the region.
Ajax and Scarborough arson series
Across the Atlantic, emergency services responded just before 4:30 a.m. on August 24 to a fire that completely demolished an unoccupied home near Rossland Road West and Church Street North in Ajax, Ontario. The blaze gutted the residence and inflicted serious damage on adjacent houses. While one nearby dwelling was occupied, its occupants escaped unharmed. Police later disclosed that “multiple” neighboring homes had been doused with an accelerant but did not catch fire, suggesting a coordinated attempt to spread the destruction.
Link to MP’s residence
The Ajax incident is part of a broader pattern that includes a suspected arson attack on the home of Liberal MP Salma Zahid in Scarborough. On August 27, three vehicles outside the MP’s residence were set ablaze in a residential area near Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East. The property damage prompted a high-profile investigation, with police confirming the house itself belonged to the MP, who has represented the Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East riding since 2015. The attack was publicly condemned by Zahid, who refused to speculate on motive.
Charges facing the Ajax suspect
Following a joint investigation by Durham and Toronto police, a 24-year-old man from Ajax was arrested on September 28. He now faces more than a dozen offences, including arson or explosion causing property damage, attempted arson, arson or explosion with disregard for human life, possession of incendiary material for arson, and three separate counts of mischief. Authorities also linked him to the earlier Scarborough attack, where he was initially charged with arson causing damage to property, possession of incendiary material, and breaching a probation order. Police continue to appeal for any witnesses or information that could assist with the ongoing case.
