Burning van was ‘dumb thing to do’
A flaming car drew a lot of attention to a New Plymouth street on Saturday afternoon.
People at a Parsons Street address stood on a roof with alcohol in hand and watched the fire crew put out the car fire.
New Plymouth Senior Fire Station Officer Jason Crowe said the fire had been deliberately lit by the people on the property. Constable Kirk Sanger agreed. ‘‘We can assume it was [intentionally lit], it didn’t just combust,’’ Sanger said. ‘‘They’re entitled to do that ‘‘It’s just a dumb thing to do really.’’
Sanger said it was up to the fire brigade to decide if there would be consequences or not.
‘‘It’s not a police matter,’’ he said.
Crowe said they would not be taking the matter any further.
‘‘They set fire to their own car, that’s consequence enough in itself,’’ Crowe said.
‘‘There’s no charges that we’ll be laying.’’
New Plymouth Fire Station Officer Maurice Kemsley was on the scene and said there were no injuries.
‘‘It wasn’t a going car,’’ Kemsley said. ‘‘It didn’t have any fuel.’’ A passerby said he slowed down as he drove past the property because of the amount of smoke which could be seen and smelt from kilometres away.
He commented on the idiocy of the people, as the property sat next to a fair amount of bush.
Sanger said there was a ‘‘good likelihood’’ that alcohol was involved in the incident.