An alleged arsonist was filmed setting fire to behind houses in East Vancouver.

Security cameras captured the ordeal just before 5:30 a.m. on June 9. The images have been merged into a single clip, and posted on youtube by the inhabitants of the neighborhood.

The video shows a man walking down an alley in the town’s Renfrew neighborhood.

He leans down and touches the base of a wooden post, then walks away, pulling up his hood as you go. As he exits the frame, fumes begin to rise from the post.

The flames appear within minutes, increasing with each passing moment. According to the clip’s timestamps, the fire burned, unnoticed, for over half an hour.

The fire was not discovered until around 6 a.m. when a nearby resident left for work. The man tries to put out the fire with his coffee and keeps the flames away from the wooden pole.

Another neighbor hears his calls for help and appears with a garden hose, finally putting out the flames.

“Although in the end this fire did not do much damage and no one was injured, it was pure luck,” the video description read.

“This person roams our city freely and the next fire he sets could burn down a house and kill people.”

The video describes the suspect as having a mustache and a distinctive walk or limp. He wore a black and white tracksuit with a white hood, a black hat and white shoes.

Residents ask anyone who recognizes the man in the video to email [email protected] so that they can inform the investigator assigned to the case.

Daily Hive has contacted Vancouver Police and will update this story accordingly.