Police in Port Hope, Ont., have launched an arson investigation following an early morning car fire on Sunday.
Just before 3 a.m., police were alerted to a vehicle fire in the area of Walton and Pine streets.
“A person returning home from work noted a small fire under a vehicle,” police stated in a release.
The witness located a police officer on patrol who attended the scene. They discovered a jerrycan on fire underneath the gas tank of the vehicle.
“The officer was able to pull the can out from under the car before it spread to the vehicle,” police stated.
The Port Hope Fire Department was called to the scene to extinguish the fire. Police continue to investigate and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward or call Crime Stoppers.
“A potentially very serious incident was averted because of the quick actions of the officer and the witness,” police said.