Surrey Arsonist Trying To Light Fire To Newton Home Also Burns Own Vehicle

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SURREY – Police are investigating two suspicious overnight fires within a half block of each other in a Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, which appear to be connected.

The fires began just before 2 a.m. Wednesday near 134 Street and 79 Avenue.

It appears someone trying to set a house on fire also ended up burning their own vehicle.

Neighbours say they saw massive flames coming from a vehicle when they woke up this morning, only to be met with sounds of what they thought to be loud gun shots moments later in Surrey early this morning.

Lucky Brar, who lives in the area, said his three-year-old son cried all morning about what happened and what he saw. Brar told News 1130 the flames he saw where huge and he quickly realized the popping sound he heard was car parts burning.

“The 15 fire trucks and 20 or 25 police cars that showed up, I thought it was only a vehicle on fire, then we saw the house was on fire too,” Brar said

The home that was on fire is about a half a block away from where the SUV burned. Brar says he say a large Jerrycan laying on the road close-by.

Surrey Fire Battalion Chief Rich Ellis said crews were first called to a structure fire in the 7900-block of 134 Street.

“That one was extinguished by the homeowner, basically. When our first units arrived, that was almost out,” said Ellis. “He was out there with the garden hose putting it out.”

Ellis said the fire at the house appears to be a case of alleged arson, with a section of the front exterior of the building burned, reported CBC news.

“Crews were responding to that, then we did have another report of a structure fire within a half block of the first one,” said Ellis. “We had another full response for that one, as well.”

Fire crews found the second fire to be an SUV crashed into a large cedar hedge, fully engulfed in flames. A video shot by bystander Rolando Lara recorded multiple explosions as the vehicle burned.

The hedge had also caught fire, sending large flames into the air.

Surrey RCMP Sgt. David MacDonald confirmed the driver appears to have been fleeing the alleged arson, before crashing into the hedge.

Meanwhile, Ellis said there were also reports of gunshots in the area, further complicating the police and fire response, but the explosions were likely coming from the burning SUV.

MacDonald said the SUV has not been reported stolen and the driver is still at large.

“We’ve got investigators showing up in the morning to assist with the RCMP to try to find out what actually happened here, and RCMP will be doing a full investigation,” said Ellis.

Anyone with information is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.