Summerside fire Chief Jim Peters said crews were called out to the apartment building at 501 South Drive at 9:30 p.m., Sunday night.
"When we got there, there was fire in one apartment in the walls and extending up to an upstairs apartment," said Peters. "There were five apartments and there were 12 residents displaced. The police had got there just ahead of us and had them all outside.”
Peters said the fire has been ruled suspicious adding “You can call it arson.”
“The fire department and the fire marshal inspected it and we turned the file over to Summerside police,” Peters said.
He said there was fire and water damage to one apartment and heavy smoke damage to the rest of the building.
He said the Red Cross found shelter for three of the families while the other two had relatives to stay with.
Summerside Det. Sgt. Joe Peters said the investigation is ongoing and details are still being collected.
“We have an active investigation,” Peters said. "We’re interviewing witnesses as we speak and that’s all we have to say about it right now. I’m sure we’ll have something to say in the next day or two.”
