THE region’s police chief has labelled the torching of two vehicles in the Mount Gambier district over the weekend as “dangerous and reckless”.
This follows police attending a car fire at Yahl early Sunday morning and then responding to another vehicle blaze less than two hours later in Mount Gambier.
The two latest blazes follow four similar car fires in the Mount Gambier district since December.
Limestone Coast Police officer-in-charge Superintendent Grant Moyle warned these incidents were highly concerning due to the threat of the car fires spreading to nearby property or potentially triggering grassfires.
“They are very dangerous fires, they often can spread quickly to surrounding property and get out of control,” Supt Moyle told The Border Watch yesterday.
The Toyota Camry Sedan – stolen from outside a Mount Gambier home on Saturday – was well ablaze on Orr Street when fire and police crews attended just before 2am Sunday.
While a number of vehicles had been torched near pine plantations in recent times, Supt Moyle said this car was set alight on a residential street.
While fires crews quickly extinguished the fire, the car was destroyed.
Meanwhile, Supt Moyle said a Holden Commodore station wagon – parked on the road verge outside residential premises on Caroline Headquarters Road – was also destroyed by fire.
Fire crews and CFS responded to the vehicle blaze at 12.15am.
“We are lucky this fire did not spread – this is reckless activity, ” the police superintendent said.
Anyone with information on either car fire, including persons or vehicles seen in the vicinity of the fires, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
