“Scared” residents described a night of terror after a dozen vehicles and a property were targeted in a widespread arson attack in Dorset.
Firefighters received 65 emergency calls after 12 vehicles were alight in Broadstone, Merley and Wimborne areas between 11pm on Sunday evening and 3am.
Residents woke to see their neighbours’ vehicles on fire as they frantically tried to alert their owners and stop the fires from spreading, reported DorsetLive.
One local described the area as a “warzone” as police officers launch an extensive investigation to “identify those responsible” for the fires.
Chloe Torring in Wimborne was awoken by her neighbour banging on the door to tell her Nissan Micra was on fire. “My neighbour woke me up and asked ‘was that your car?’,” Chloe recalled.
“I was in a daze and I said ‘yes, that is my car’. She said the van was also set alight in an arson attack and not just caught alight. When people came out, the fire service came out and we walked around and just saw there were other cars in flames."
The hairdresser said she was left in “complete shock” and her boyfriend thought he was dreaming.
She continued: “I was in complete shock and it didn’t hit me properly. I told my boyfriend my car was on fire and he thought I was dreaming.
“I stood there in shock and I told my mum how my car burst into flames, It was really scary. We weren’t going to get hurt, but we could just hear bangs, flames getting bigger and worried that the fire would spread.
She added: “I cannot believe people just do things like this for no good reason. They are going around hurting people and it causes so much stress and anxiety.
“We were so worried and we couldn’t sleep and worried they would come back and come to the house. Things don’t happen like this in Wimborne. It is really shocking this has happened at all and it is scary.”
Chloe thankfully lost no valuables in the blaze, bar some walking boots, wellington boots and a bag of dog food. She will spend the day working with her father to file an insurance claim on her beloved Nissan, which she had owned for just six months.
The neighbourhood was awoken by “bangs” and the bright orange flames from the vehicles. Grant Stewart, a 33-year-old builder from Ferndown, described the scene as a “warzone” with people running around in a panic and cars “banging”.
“I was woken up by a bang and thought it was a car crash, looked out the window to see an orange glow and people running around,” Mr Stewart said.
“One person comes running to the scene to wake up one of the owners of the car and their car was on fire. I went out to find it was like a warzone with three cars ablaze and bangs going off.”
Increased police patrols are taking place in the area with officers carrying out door-to-door enquires.
Detective Sergeant Simon Austin, of County CID, said: “These incidents have affected a large number of victims in the wider Wimborne area and we are aware that this will cause concern.
“I would like to reassure our local communities that officers are currently investigating all reported incidents and are making every effort to identify those responsible. People will see visible police activity as officers are making house-to-house and CCTV enquiries.”
A spokeswoman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Between the hours of 11.30pm yesterday evening and just before 2.30am this morning, our Service Control Centre received approximately 65 999 calls about vehicle fires in the Wimborne and Poole areas. A crew from Poole attended a fire involving a single vehicle on Wentworth Drive, Poole at 11.35pm.
“A crew from Poole and two from Wimborne attended a fire involving two vehicles on Oakley Hill, Poole, at 1.08am. A second call was received at 1.15am about another vehicle alight in the same area.
“At 1.20am, a crew from Redhill park were called to New Borough Road, Wimborne Minster following reports of four vehicles involved in fire. A crew from Poole attended a fire on Poole Road, Wimborne Minster involving two vehicles at 1.24am.
“At 1.35am, we received a call about a vehicle fire on Poole Road, Wimborne Minster which had spread to a property. Crews from Ferndown, Westbourne, Wimborne and Poole attended. A crew from Wimborne attended a fire involving two vehicles on Merley Ways, Poole at 2.26am.
“We are supporting our police colleagues with their investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55230073977. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.
