A quiet market town today resembles a 'war zone' after a gang of arsonists torched 13 cars in a late night rampage.
The thugs put Wimborne, Dorset, under siege by going from street to street on a motorbike to start the fires.
They poured an accelerant on one random car after another before setting them ablaze.
Horrified residents in one residential street were awoken at 1.20am to find four separate vehicles ablaze.
Video shows the night sky 'glowing orange' from the amount of car fires in New Borough Road and several neighbouring streets. Loud bangs can also be heard as the vehicles went up.
By daylight, the burnt out shells of multiple cars could be seen with the air still thick with acrid smoke.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service received 65 999 calls between 11.30pm and 2.30am from shocked residents.
A mum and two young daughters fled their home in their pyjamas amid fears the blaze might spread from their Ford Ka to the building.
Neighbour Poppy Baker, 57, a credit controller, said: "I live in Leigh Road and at about 1.30am I saw this orange glow from my window.
"A Ford Ka was burning and there was so much heat the paint on my front door was melting.
"The car belongs to a mother and she ran out the house in her pyjamas with her two young daughters.
"The fire engulfed the car very quickly and three fire appliances were at the scene to stop it spreading to the building.
"Then all these social media reports started coming through of other car fires in Wimborne.
"I'm told a man had been seen running away from a fire and someone said they saw a man jumping on the back of a motorbike.
"Everyone is in shock. Another neighbour said he moved from London to Wimborne for a quiet life and today it's like a warzone."
Detective Sergeant Simon Austin, of Dorset Police, is appealing for people with any CCTV that may have video of the assailants to come forward.
He said: "These incidents have affected a large number of victims in the wider Wimborne area and we are aware that this will cause concern.
"I would like to reassure our local communities that officers are currently investigating all reported incidents and are making every effort to identify those responsible. People will see visible police activity as officers are making house-to-house and CCTV enquiries.
"We are appealing for any witnesses to any of the incidents or anyone who might have seen suspicious activity in the roads mentioned to please come forward.
"Also, I would urge anyone who may have home CCTV installed in those areas and anyone with dashcam to please check their footage to see if there is anything of relevance that could help us."
