Cluster of car fires causes concern in Espoo area

Five cars were lit up in two separate parking lots at Matinkylä area in Espoo early Sunday morning, and the police are investigating the car fires.

The sites were separated by a few hundred metres.

Police inspector Teemu Vartinen told national broadcaster, Yle, that the police could not define whether the action was preplanned or spontaneous. The police had no suspects as of Sunday afternoon.

The car fires made national news in Finland, as over hundred cars were burnt in neighboring Sweden in August. There the series of attacks were associated with social problems related to immigration.

Car fires with a criminal intent are fairly common in Finland, but usually there have been no social motive.

The police said earlier that in many of the around 200 criminal cases annually the owner lit up the car to get rid of a car loan or to cash in the insurance. Vehicles of former spouses were also lit up sometimes.