The four-door Suzuki was set alight in the car park of the hockey field on the corner of Red Hill Road and Bourke Street.

Turvey Park Fire and Rescue station commander Jeff Edwards described the fire as "fully involved" by the time of their arrival, with "flames reaching about four or five metres".

It took up to 15 minutes to control the fire, which Mr Edwards admits is "unusual for a car fire".

Witnesses describe the heavy smell of accelerant in the air, even following the car's extinguishing.

Police will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the episode.

The fire followed a busy night for the city's emergency response crews.

Earlier, at 11:40pm on Sunday, crews were dispatched to a block of units on Bruce Street, Tolland.

A fire in a stairwell trapped several residents for more than an hour.

It is believed the fire was started from a couch left outside the fourth block of units.

The same block of units were targetted in another arson strike in December. That time three residents had to be evacuated over the balconies to avoid the inferno outside their door.