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British Columbia

Burnaby couple finds unfamiliar car burning in driveway

An elderly couple in Burnaby, B.C., was awoken early Wednesday morning by an explosion from a stolen car going up in flames in their driveway.

Janet and Don Hayes were jolted out of bed around 2 a.m. by an explosion outside

Burnaby firefighters douse a car after someone left it engulfed in flames in a driveway belonging to Janet and Don Hayes. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)

An elderly couple in Burnaby, B.C., was awoken early Wednesday morning by an explosion from a stolen car going up in flames in their driveway.

Janet Hayes said sheheard the car drive down Hillview Street to her house at the end of the dead-end road. She heard voices and then what she described as a loud explosion.

"I thought they had hit the house, I thought a car had hit the house, that big of a bang," Hayes said.

She and her husband, Donboth in their 70sgot out of bed to find asedan engulfed in flames in their driveway.

Next door neighbour Arthur Yorko said he was awoken by the explosion.

"I was sleeping and I thought someone slammed myfront door," said Yorko."I saw flames and I saw Don grabbing his hose. I grabbed my hose and tried to put a little water on it. That's all we could do."

The homeowners and their neighbours watch as Burnaby firefighters put out the fire in the burning car. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)

Hayes said the flames were getting dangerously close to trees and bushes in the front yard, but she was more concerned abouther husband's safety.

"I said, 'Let it burn.'I was worried about my husband getting too close. He's got the hose on it, I said 'Let it burn,'" she said.

Nobody saw anyoneflee fromthe area, and police don't have any suspects.

The car was reported stolen in Vancouver, according to police, so both BurnabyRCMP and the Vancouver Police Department will investigate the incident.

"It was a little more excitement than I would wantin the middle of the night," said Hayes

The stolen grey sedan's interior was completely scorched. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)