On New Years Eve, Jen (not her real name) was lying in bed when she heard what she thought were fireworks.
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"The banging I heard... was actually my car blowing up," she said.
The Orange resident had no idea that sometime earlier that evening thieves had stolen her 2020 Mazda SUV from her driveway.
They set it alight just three kilometres from her house.
"I got a knock on the door from the police at 2am to tell me they found my car on fire."
"It was really awful."
Jen, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted, is one of a growing number of victims of a car fire crime spree that's hit Orange in recent months.
Offenders are stealing cars, often by breaking into homes and stealing keys, then dumping and setting the vehicles on fire in parks or by the roadside.
At least nine cars have been torched just since the start of January and frustration is growing as the trail of destruction continues.
Jen says she was lucky to have insurance.
Even so, she's at least $1000 out of pocket after paying her excess and jumping through the hoops required by her insurance company.
"No one wants that.
"Especially at this time of the year.
"I don' t have money to burn. And I'm sure everyone else is the same.
"Things are bad enough with COVID and people losing their jobs without having these d***heads stealing your car."
Even more upsetting for Jen is that the car was going to be a gift for her daughter on her eighteenth birthday.
"I bought it for her to learn to drive in and I said when she got her green P's I would give it to her."
"She turned 18 the other day. Her eighteenth birthday came and went and I didn't have a car to give her because it was wrecked.
"I worked hard to pay that car off to give to my daughter so she could go to uni.
"Now I have to wait for insurance to come through, shop for another car. It's a real pain in the neck."
What hurts most however, is the sense of unease that has come from someone stealing and destroying her property.
She now feels compelled to install CCTV and get sensor lights fitted - more expenses she hasn't planned on.
"I shouldn't have to.
"I've never had any issues before.
"I live in a small street, I know every neighbour in my street and we trust each other."
- Anyone with any information regarding the car fires is urged to contact Orange Police.
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