Two vehicle fires in the metro region are under investigation on suspicion of arson.
Police were called to Paradise at around 11:30 last night after a car was set ablaze. The RNC says officers determined that the vehicle was stolen before it was torched.
Then, shortly before 5:00 this morning, fire crews were called to Power Street in downtown St. John’s. They encountered a car engulfed in flames on the corner of Power and Carnell Streets. A nearby home also damaged by the fire.
Arson investigators and the RNC’s Criminal Investigation Divison are looking into both incidents.
Earlier Story
It was a sudden wake up for many on Power Street in the west end of downtown St. John’s, as a vehicle burst into flames shortly before 5:00 a.m.
The RNC closed off the street to the public as the raging fire destroyed a sedan, which was stopped near the corner of Carnell Street.
Photos posted on social media show fire crews fighting the flames, which could be seen licking high above the vehicle. Clouds of acrid smoke billowed into the air, as the skies brightened over the city.
(Photos courtesy Chris Caines via Facebook.)
The scene was cleared up within the hour, and a tow truck was called to remove the remains of the vehicle shortly before 6 a.m.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
