A Vancouver woman in her seventies is still recovering after she fled her burning house in the middle of the night -- the result of the latest in a series of arsons in the posh Shaughnessy neighbourhood.

Catherine Brennan-Schwarz was woken by her dog Dulcie to find her garage in flames late Thursday morning.

"I got up and went to the kitchen and saw the smoke coming out of the garage," Brennan-Schwarz told CTV News.

She fled to the front lawn and neighbours called the fire department. She and Dulcie survived, but many of the belongings she had accumulated while living in the house for 40 years were destroyed.

"It's so pointless and destructive for no other reason than to be destructive," she said.

The fire was no accident.

Vancouver police say the Shaughnessy and South Granville districts have been struck by a rash of suspicious fires and vandalism in the last few months, a police statement said.

In all, eight fires have been set in Shaughnessy since June 3. Police aren't sure if they're dealing with one or more suspects.

Damage to property has included homes, fences, garages and vehicles. It is believed that the fires were started with flammable debris found around the houses.

"The challenge before us at this point is finding who could be responsible," Const. Jana McGuinness said during a press conference.

"We are reaching out to sanitation services and local security companies, to people who are out late at night, people that are working in the area. We are trying to get as many eyes on this as we can and the public can be very helpful too," she said.

The fires have been set primarily in the early morning hours between midnight and 10 a.m.

The most recent fire happened Friday morning in the 2000-block of West 35th Avenue, causing significant damage to a home, but police said it is unclear whether it is connected to other incidents reported in the area in recent months.

No injuries have been reported in any of the incidents, but police are urging homeowners to help prevent more incidents by putting out recycling or garbage cans only during the mornings of collection and to ensure outdoor lights and sensors are working properly.

Residents have signed up for the Vancouver Police Neighbourhood Crime Alert Service to support police efforts securing the area.

Police are seeking for the public's help identifying suspicious activities in the area, and have distributed pamphlets around the neighbourhoods with safety tips.

They have beefed up presence in the area and are also asking neighbours to call 911 if they see anything unusual or have information about previous incidents.

One neighbour, Jean MacLeod, said she had some advice for whoever is behind these set fires.

"You really need help," she said. "No normal person goes around setting fire to people's houses. Turn yourself in and get some treatment," she said.