Whitehorse firefighters were summoned to douse two vehicles that were found ablaze early this morning in downtown Whitehorse.

The pickup truck and car were parked a few metres away from one another on Fifth Avenue near Jeckell Street.

Nearby resident Gordon Doerksen told the Star he heard a vehicle horn honking at about 2:20 a.m.

“The sound of popping tires and fire was coming to my ears as I was sleeping,” Doerksen said.

“I woke up to check what was going on, and out of my window, two vehicles are burning from the inside.

“Calling the firefighters wasn’t needed as they setting up their hoses and starting to kill the fires.” 

Amid the smoke and streaming water, Doerksen said, the vehicles’ batteries started to explode. 

“A half-hour later, it was all over and the cleanup began.” 

He doesn’t believe the fires were accidental due to the two vehicles being on fire at the same time and having been parked several metres apart.

Whitehorse RCMP had no information on the fires before press time this afternoon.