Fire lit the sky over Rayleigh early Sunday morning after an apparent act of vandalism targeted a contractor.

The call came into Kamloops Fire Rescue at 4:45 a.m. Sunday as a structure fire. A crew on a single engine arrived a few minutes later and determined that it was actually a truck engulfed in flames.

The crew fought the blaze cautiously, aware of the dangers associated with vehicle fires.

Firefighters approached as burning chemicals created noxious fumes, tires and fuel tanks threatened to explode and hydraulic parts threatened to shoot shafts out of the grill, creating lethal projectiles.

“We try and cool the fire as much as we can from a distance using the reach of our hose stream,” said Ken Ferguson, Fire Rescue battalion chief. “Then we move in closer and start opening doors and get a closer look at it.”

Once deemed safe, an inspection revealed the 2002 Ford-F350 had missing plates but was still insured.

“It was a suspicious fire,” said Ferguson. “Our fire protection office will definitely be investigating this along with the police.”

Kamloops contractor Curtis Jacobsen, who leases the secluded piece of property on the outskirts of the neighbourhood, said he lost his truck in the fire.

He said he’d never been a victim of vandalism and was unsure of details surrounding this incident since he was out of town when reached on Sunday afternoon.