A 16-year-old girl is heartbroken after an arsonist destroyed her motorcycle.

Shunrai Somner's family say they have no idea why her bike and the family car were targeted in the incident outside their home in St. John's Road, Pembroke, at 2.20 a.m. on Friday.

Her mother Deborah Somner discovered the vehicles engulfed in flames and a suspect running away after she went outside when she heard noises.

Last night, her husband Steven Somner, said Mrs. Somner ran back into the bedroom to wake him and they both worked to put out the flames – even as he worried it could explode.

"The flames were burning right near the fuel tank. We were bringing buckets of water, running back and forth from the house," he said.

"I was just trying to put it out before it exploded. My wife had the hose from the backyard trying to spray it, but if it exploded I didn't want them (his wife and daughter) to be too close.

"The flames were about ten to 12 feet. After being woken from my sleep it was a frightening thing."

After about ten minutes, as the Police and Fire Services arrived, Mr. and Mrs. Somner had the fire under control, but not before $2,000 of damaged was done to the car — a Daihatsu Applause.

Mr. Somner had bought the $5,000 bike for Shunrai's birthday in June.

"She's really torn and hurt of course," he added, "She doesn't have a clue what's happening; she doesn't know if someone's jealous of her.

"I'm still puzzled. She has no enemies. I'm just trying to piece together what happened.

"It's a very clean neighbourhood. Police have cleaned it up of drug use. We don't have all of that; it's just a lot of young kids who have grown up in the neighbourhood. They all get along."

Police have since impounded both vehicles and are investigating the incident.

They urge witnesses to contact Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit on 295 0011 or the anonymous CrimeStoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.