The young man accused in a spree of arsons across B.C.’s Fraser Valley has been remanded into custody after making his first court appearance.

Colby Drew Jandrew was arrested in Abbotsford Sunday and is charged with arson and public mischief.

Police allege the 20-year-old deliberately set fires at five homes and businesses all within a 48-hour span last month.

Abbotsford police say he was a person of interest early on in the investigation and he was arrested for a break-and-enter just a few days after the fires.

Const. Ian MacDonald said the department’s investigation was helped by that arrest, because police were able to gather enough evidence for the arson charges while he was in custody.

“It was through the gathering of forensics, it was through interviewing the public that we were able to elevate that,” MacDonald told CTV News,

“[There was] a combination of good police work and a little bit of good luck as well."

The most serious fire happened at a home on Adelaide Street, which was torched while a family of four slept inside. Officials say the residents only got out because fire crews were nearby dousing another fire, allegedly set by the same person.

Three fires were deliberately set in that same area the night before. One blaze happened on the doorstop of a convenience stop below two suites where seven people were sleeping.

Jandrew will remain in custody until his next court date on May 23.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225 or text 222973 (abbypd).

With files from CTV Vancouver’s Nafeesa Karim and Michele Brunoro