Police make arrests after 3 overnight fires

Five people were arrested at a Travelodge Hotel on Carling Avenue Friday, Ottawa police have confirmed.

The arrests come after three suspicious fires ripped through different areas of the city early in the morning. Police, however, have not yet made a link between the arrests and the fires.

They also haven't said whether asixth person a man who was taken from the hotel to hospital with serious burns on 90 per cent of his body is linked to the fires.

Firefighters battled into theearly morning Friday to control the three large fires, all of which Ottawa police are calling suspicious.

The first blaze, reported just before midnight, tore through ahair salon and video rental store on Bank Street at Belmont Avenue.

At about 1 a.m., a second fire caused an explosion at an oil change shop near St. Patrick Street and King Edward Avenue. The fire then spread to a Tim Hortons restaurant next door.

The garage was destroyed and the Tim Hortons was heavily damaged.

Beginning at about 3 a.m., the most damaging of the three fires tore through five businesses in the Richmond Plaza on Richmond Road, among thema Rockin' Johnny's restaurant and a bicycle shop.

Fire officials have estimated that the lastfire caused about $2 million in damage to the building and $3 million to the contents of the businesses.

Total damage from the fires is estimated at $6.6 million.

"With winter, we brought in extra rigs," said Ottawa fire Chief Monty Malloy. "So it did end up going into a four-alarm fire."

Police and thefire marshal's officecontinue to investigate the fires.

Roads near where the three fires occurred are open.