Fire destroys unoccupied houses in Merritt, B.C.

Police are investigating after a fire tore through multiple empty homes in the early hours of June 17.

Merritt RCMP say they were called to an "abandoned" house off Midday Valley Road in Merritt just after 2 a.m. PT on Monday. Police say the fire quickly spread to another abandoned home and destroyed both, but firefighters were able to contain it before the fire spread to a third building.

Investigators are looking for information about a dark pickup truck that a witness saw pull up to the houses just before 2 a.m.

"A few minutes later, the structure was on fire, and the pickup truck fled the area at a high rate of speed," Staff Sgt. Josh Roda said in a news release.

Merritt chief administrative officerCynthia White told CBC's Radio West host Sarah Penton that the homes in question were fourplexesbuilt about five years agobut had never officially been lived in.

She described them as "unoccupied."

"I'm not sure the owners considered them to be abandoned," White said.

However, she said, the city believed squatters had been sheltering there.

White was not able to confirm who the owner of the buildings was.

Police are asking anyone with information or video of the truck driving toward or away from the area to contact the Merritt RCMP.