THE car of an Albury year 12 student was torched yesterday, only a day after he received his ATAR results.

The old Ford Laser was an 18th birthday present to Oscar Ramsden from his older sister, Lily.

It was stolen from the family home in Carrington Street at 2am.

It was set alight and destroyed at Mungabareena Reserve at 11.30am. The fire spread to scrub on the dangerously hot day.

Lily, 20, spoke to The Border Mail on behalf of her brother, hoping to raise awareness about the number of cars being set on fire on the Border.

“We don’t want it to be a sob story,” she said.

“How many cars have been torched lately?

“It’s ridiculous; especially in our area, especially in central Albury that things like this are happening, that cars are being stolen and burnt.”

Oscar, a Trinity College student, had only just received his news of his university placement.

“He got his ATAR marks yesterday and gets his car set on the fire the next day,” Ms Ramsden said.

She said security cameras at Mate Street APCO service station had footage of the car being filled with petrol at 6am.

Police said they were investigating.

It is the second car stolen from Carrington Street in a little over two weeks, And it is barely a week since another car was set alight in bush off the Bandiana Link Road in Wodonga.

Albury Central fire brigade senior firefighter Jim Browne said it was lucky yesterday’s fire did not spark a major fire threat on the 40 degree day.

“We’re lucky there was no wind,” he said.

“The grass was still a little bit on the green side so it slowed the fire down.

“This is just ridiculous behaviour.”

He urged people who phone triple-0 to remain near the scene and flag down firefighters.

He said firefighters had had trouble finding the site of several recent incidents after callers had left the scene.