A stolen car was set ablaze after being dumped in a park on Auckland's North Shore overnight.
Andy Jaquet said he was awoken by his dog Bilbo barking around 3am this morning and went to check on him.
Upon peering outside over his back fence in Beach Haven, he noticed a light coming from nearby Tui Park.
After closer inspection, Jaquet saw a car on fire on the bush walkway. He sprang into action and turned the garden hose on it while his wife called the fire department.
"The dog saved the day," Jaquet told 1News. He also had praise for Fire and Emergency NZ who arrived within eight minutes of being alerted.
Jaquet said the section of the walkway where the car ended up is "rough" and has barriers at the end to stop vehicles gaining access from that direction. He believes that may have been what caused the people in the stolen vehicle to abandon the ride and torch it.
After posting a video of the fire to a community Facebook page, Jaquet was contacted by the owner of the vehicle who told him it was a 2022 Volvo that was stolen from her.
Police told 1News there were no injuries from the fire and "inquiries are ongoing" into the incident. They want anyone with information to contact them on 105.
Jaquet said the fire could have been much worse and spread throughout the park if he wasn't alerted by his dog.
He confirmed Bilbo will be getting a special feed today.
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