A man has set several cars alight by smoking while allegedly stealing fuel from a tank - causing more than £60,000 worth of damage.
The 26-year-old is believed to have been trying to siphon petrol from one of the vehicles in a private car park in south Australia.
He then decided to light a cigarette - causing the fuel to burst into flames.
The shocking moment was captured on CCTV in Millicent, about 250 miles south-east of Adelaide, at around 11pm.
Footage shows the man - wearing a dark top and trousers - crouching in between two vehicles in the car park.
He then emerges from the cars, while clutching something that has set alight - believed to be a container for the petrol.
He finally makes a quick exit from the car park as the surrounding vehicles also burst into flames.
Police were called to the scene at 11.10pm after horrified locals spotted the blaze, according to News.com.au.
Officers searched the area and discovered the man hiding nearby with burns on his legs.
The South Australian Country Fire Service were also called to the car park to tackle the fire.
They successfully stopped it from spreading to a nearby building - but the damage to the cars alone has come to an estimated $100,000 (£60,000).
However, car park owner Angus McDonald later told Channel Ten Eyewitness News that he had been 'very lucky'.
'About $110,000 worth of cars have been lost and there is a bit of damage to the walls,' he said.
'We were very lucky the building didn't catch fire because there are cars just over the other side of the wall.'
The man has been arrested and charged with arson and illegal interference with a motor vehicle.
The 26-year-old is believed to have been trying to siphon petrol from one of the vehicles in a private car park in south Australia.
He then decided to light a cigarette - causing the fuel to burst into flames.
The shocking moment was captured on CCTV in Millicent, about 250 miles south-east of Adelaide, at around 11pm.
Footage shows the man - wearing a dark top and trousers - crouching in between two vehicles in the car park.
He then emerges from the cars, while clutching something that has set alight - believed to be a container for the petrol.
He finally makes a quick exit from the car park as the surrounding vehicles also burst into flames.
Police were called to the scene at 11.10pm after horrified locals spotted the blaze, according to News.com.au.
Officers searched the area and discovered the man hiding nearby with burns on his legs.
The South Australian Country Fire Service were also called to the car park to tackle the fire.
They successfully stopped it from spreading to a nearby building - but the damage to the cars alone has come to an estimated $100,000 (£60,000).
However, car park owner Angus McDonald later told Channel Ten Eyewitness News that he had been 'very lucky'.
'About $110,000 worth of cars have been lost and there is a bit of damage to the walls,' he said.
'We were very lucky the building didn't catch fire because there are cars just over the other side of the wall.'
The man has been arrested and charged with arson and illegal interference with a motor vehicle.
Source : SkyNews, DailyMail
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