The Ontario Provincial Police and Ontario Fire Marshal's Office have been notified about a rash of suspicious fires in Lambton County that has taxed the resources of five rural fire departments.
The fire chiefs in Dawn-Euphemia, Alvinston, Inwood, Oil Springs and Watford held an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon after at least nine fires in the past week or so.
Dawn-Euphemia chief Dave Williams says they've responded to six night-time calls in their jurisdiction, all at old abandoned buildings close to roadways.
"If we're out on a call in the middle of the night and someone really needs help we're going to be awhile getting there," says Williams. "We're going to have to activate mutual aid to help us if they're not busy already, there were five fire departments out last night to a number a different calls, it really stretches our manpower to the limit."
There were three more calls in the Alvinston-Inwood area after midnight Thursday morning, two on Old Walnut Rd. and one on Ebenezer Rd. A barn, drive shed and an another shed were destroyed.
Alvinston Fire Chief Ron McCabe says an abandoned house on Aughrim Line also went up in flames Wednesday.
He says it's been exhausting for his firefighters.
"We've got 23, 24 guys on the department and they all have to go to their regular jobs, for the past few days they've been responding to back to back to back calls," says McCabe.
Residents are being urged to be extra vigilant and immediately report any suspicious vehicles.
-With files from Dave Dentinger