Woman set on fire in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside: police

An investigation is underway in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside after a woman was reportedly set on fire earlier this week while she was sitting on the sidewalk.

Vancouver police said the incident happened Monday at about 1:30 a.m. A woman in her 50s was sitting near Dunlevy and Powell streets when a stranger allegedly "poured a flammable substance on her head, and lit it on fire."

She ran to a nearby business to ask for help and was taken to hospital with serious burn injuries.

"This was a shocking attack that targeted a vulnerable member of our community," said Const. Tania Visintin. "We need witnesses and anyone with information to call police and help solve this crime."

Police described the suspect in that incident as a white man in his 30s. He fled the scene before investigators arrived.

A second incident is also under investigation, police said. On that same day, a man called police and reported his homemade shelter was set on fire while he was sleeping near Columbia Street and West 5th Avenue. He told police he put the fire out himself and escaped without injuries.

Police confirmed with CTV News Vancouver that both victims are homeless.

"Investigators don’t believe the two incidents are connected," Visintin said. "However, it is still very early in the investigation, so we are not ruling anything out."

Police said they don't believe the incidents are connected because the descriptions of the suspects are different.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 604-717-2541. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Regan Hasegawa