It’s not the brightest thing to do at the best of times, but with fire season upon us, the peculiar Western Australian sport of setting cars on fire by the side of the road has come to take on an even more sinister aspect.
Three volunteer crews attended a burning vehicle set alight on Vasse Highway near Slee Road on Monday night. The blaze was reported at 11:50 by nearby residents.
In addition to destroying the car, the blaze also burned adjacent trees and grass but fortunately the fire did not spread and no further backup was required. The fire was extinguished by 12:45am.
A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said vehicle fires that start in or near bushland can spark a bushfire very quickly.
“Bushfires can escalate quickly and become out of control and unpredictable, especially in hot and windy weather conditions,” they said.
“Vehicle fires are extremely dangerous. By reporting a vehicle fire straight away, emergency services can respond immediately and hopefully extinguish the fire before it spreads.”
