Rolf Maurer targeted twice in apparent arson attacks

An East Vancouver book publisher says he believes a business deal gone bad may be responsible for two separate arson attacks targeting himover the last three years.

It was 4 a.m. PT Friday when Rolf Maurerheard a thump by his front door in the 5300 block of Commercial Streetand woke to the smell of smoke.

"Immediately my nostrils told me somethingwasn'tright and I opened the bedroom door and there was smoke outside so I closed it again and went out the window," he told CBC News.

Maurer climbed out onto his roof and scrambled down a ladder a neighbour provided. Vancouver fire crews suspected arson almost immediately.

"Normally a fire doesn't start at the front of the houseall by itself, saidBattalion Chief SteveChila. "Police will be investigating andour fire investigator is here."

Maurer says he thinks the fire was caused by a Molotov cocktail.

It's not the first time he's been targeted. His book publishing business in the3400 block of Commercial Street went up in flames in 2012 in another suspected case ofarson.

The suite was the publishing office for New Star Books.Maurer believes that fire, and the one Friday are part of a pattern.

"One of our neighbours got hit a couple of years ago," he said. "Case of mistaken identity I think. They had a house that was superficially similar to ours and I think the idiots who did the attack got the wrong place."

Maurer says he's being targeted because of a business deal gone bad, but wouldn't elaborate.

Vancouver PoliceConst. Brian Montague says police are investigating.

"That's something we're looking into. Again its not something I can provide a lot of details on,but itdoes form part of our investigation."

Police say they will be talking with neighbours, looking at forensic evidence and reviewing surveillance tape.

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