Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to a criminal’s plan isn’t law enforcement, but their own spectacular incompetence. That certainly appears to be the case in Solomontown, South Australia, where three would-be arsonists accidentally set themselves on fire inside their own getaway car while trying to torch a fenced-off building.
The bizarre incident unfolded just after midnight on Monday, June 16, 2025, on Young Street in Solomontown, a suburb of Port Pirie. According to South Australia Police, three male suspects approached a residence, intending to set it ablaze by dousing its front with a flammable accelerant. However, during their ill-fated arson attempt, their getaway vehicle unexpectedly burst into flames, forcing them to abandon it and flee on foot, likely suffering significant burns.
Dramatic CCTV footage released by police captures the chaotic scene. It shows a car pulling up to the property, followed by two men, dressed in black hoodies and pants, exiting the vehicle. One man can be seen haphazardly pouring liquid, splashing some on himself and the ground, before returning to the car. As the vehicle begins to pull away, it suddenly ignites in a fiery explosion, engulfed in a massive blaze. All three individuals then scramble out of the burning car and sprint away into the night.
South Australia Police were quickly on the scene after reports of a car fire, discovering both the vehicle ablaze and a fire smoldering at the front of a nearby house. Both fires were rapidly extinguished. The charred vehicle has since been seized for forensic examination, with police appealing to the public for information via Crime Stoppers. They have also urged the injured suspects to seek medical treatment, given the severity of their likely burns.
This Port Pirie arson attempt is not an isolated incident of clumsy criminals creating an accidental fire. Similar mishaps have been reported across Australia and internationally. From arsonists setting themselves alight in Bakersfield, California, to a suspect in Melbourne accidentally torching his own clothes, there’s a recurring theme of perpetrators miscalculating the dangers of flammable liquids. Such incidents often involve a lack of expertise, leading to self-inflicted harm and highlighting the critical role of surveillance footage in capturing these blunders.
