A 19-year-old man is facing charges in connection with a number of arsons that damaged property around Winnipeg.

The man is accused of setting 16 fires between May 1-9 in Winnipeg's downtown, West End and North End.

He was arrested Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. after a police supervisor spotted the suspect, who matched a description provided by witnesses, on a bicycle near James Carleton Drive and Leila Avenue.

"We believe that it was one person responsible for all these fires and I wouldn't say that the book is closed on this yet," Const. Jay Murray said.

The cost of damage is estimated at $525,000.

A fire destroyed a pair of detached garages in the 600 block of Sheppard Street on Wednesday morning. A man is charged with setting that fire and 15 others in Winnipeg. (Laura Glowacki/CBC) The arsonist primarily targeted garages and fences in various neighbourhoods, according to police. They allege the suspect set fire to one house on Manford Close in The Maples.

Murray said the suspect was carrying a number of instruments he allegedly used to set the fires and was subsequently charged with possession of an incendiary material. Murray did not divulge what those materials were.

"Everything found on him was flammable and could easily be set on fire."

Midday fires

The suspect does not have a history of arsons, Murray said. He was not known to police.

Murray said police thought from the beginning that one person might be responsible for the fires.

"I don't think it's very common that you'll find an arsonist here in the city of Winnipeg," he said. "All these fires seemed to happen midday, so there was certainly that connection."

He said all but two of the fires were set before 3 p.m. The other blazes were ignited in the evening.

Police believe the suspect, who lives in the Amber Trails area, did not know the victims of the fires.

"Fires can be very disruptive, not only to families but to the community, and that's what we saw here," Murray said.

A Winnipeg man is accused of setting 16 fires between May 1-9 in Winnipeg's downtown, West End and North End. (CBC) Here are the 16 addresses affected by the suspected arsons: