Regional firefighters have warned of the danger car fires pose amid a dramatic rise in the number of cars found stolen, dumped and torched in the area.

A Creswick couple has told of the terrifying moment a stolen car was torched metres from their house and bush land in the middle of the night, 

Lynette Cartledge woke to “loud bangs” and explosions in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

“I was woken to some unusual noises and a couple of bangs,” Mrs Cartledge said.

“I woke my husband who heard a larger noise.”

When Mr Cartledge looked out the window he saw flames.

He went outside to see the fire well alight and immediately called the fire brigade.

The car was dumped in the middle of DeRegt Drive – a usually quiet residential street. 

CFA district 15 operations officer Gavin Hope said the number of cars being dumped and torched in the area seems have steadily increased over the past year.

He said the majority of car fires were stolen cars that were dumped and deliberately torched, in bushy areas like the Canadian State Forrest and Creswick State Forrest. 

As the mercury continues to rise residents are concerned that embers from deliberately lit car fires could spread and result in fast moving bush fires.

Mrs Cartledge said if she had not been awoken by loud, successive bangs, the fire which was startlingly close to residential houses and properties could potentially have been devastating. At one point flames shot up a nearby tree, which remains charred.

Ballarat Fire Brigade Captain Mark Cartledge said car fires had the potential to endanger property and houses.

“It is very hard to investigate a car fire,” Captain Cartledge said.

“We often don’t have a cause other than they were deliberately lit.” 

Captain Cartledge said car fires were difficult to extinguish and emitted an “intense heat”.

“There are fabrics, gas and fuel. A lot of cars have magnesium in the wheels and engine,” he said, adding that this added fuel to the fire.

“They do take a bit to extinguish.” 

Captain Cartledge warned that anyone who deliberately lit a fire was putting the property, the lives of the general community and firefighters at risk.

“They are putting the fire fighters at risk – if the car is LPG there is the possibility of a gas cylinder exploding,” Captain Cartledge said.

Mr Hope said firefighters remained concerned about the risk of car fires spreading.

“It is so dry, even if the fire is done at night it can still take hold – all it needs is a strong southerly wind. Of course it is a concern.” 

Mr Hope also warned drivers to ensure their cars were safe, with un-roadworthy vehicles more likely to spark fires.  CFA units responded to a fire last week started by a hot wheel that fell off a car.