UPDATE: 1:15 p.m.

A man was seen setting a hedge and a section of grass on fire with a blow torch along Harvey Avenue, Sunday afternoon.

Business owners rushed out of their stores and worked quickly to extinguish the fire. Once firefighters arrived on scene they took over and said the two fires were completely out.

“We were called just a short time ago to a report of several fires along Highway 97 on the south side near Total Pet,” said Platoon Captain Scott Clarke.

The man was seen walking along the highway “lighting as many sidewalks as he could.”

A patch of grass was torched in front of Total Pet and hedges were caught on fire along with a sign in front of Choices Markets.

“I saw smoke billowing out of the bushes, the sign was on fire,” said Michael Ferguson who works at Choices Markets.

Witnesses described him as a “transient man” who had a shopping cart with coiled copper tubing inside.

Ferguson said the man was caught by RCMP on Burtch Avenue trying to start another fire.

“Having someone that has this much disregard for other people’s safety it is pretty scary for us,” said Clarke.

Castanet has reached out to police to see if and what charges have been laid.

ORIGINAL: 12:45 p.m.

Someone intentionally set fires near businesses along Harvey Avenue in Kelowna during the noon hour on Sunday, Kelowna firefighters believe.

Two fires were set in the same plaza, burning bushes and a hedge in front of Total Pet and Choices Markets on the highway.

Both fires have been extinguished.

Castanet will update when more information becomes available.