A neighbour says an explosion that coincided with a car fire early Wednesday morning sounded like a bomb.

Chilliwack firefighters quickly snuffed out a car fire at around 2 a.m. in a parking lot at the New Mark apartment buildings.

Shawn Farren was sleeping in his third-storey bedroom in the New Mark apartment buildings when he was awoken by a "loud bang." The reputation of the neighbourhood is such that Farren initially tried to go back to sleep. Those plans were aborted when he heard a siren approaching.

Rising to check out what the commotion was, Farren said he saw a "big ball of flames out in the courtyard." A small call, which was later revealed to be a green Chevrolet Cavalier, was fully engulfed in fire.

Several smaller explosions followed the first bang, which Farren equated to a sonic boom.

"I don't know if it was a bomb, it sounded like a bomb, but it looked like one of the cars had been blown up."

Farren grabbed a video camera and began filming the fire. (Those images can be seen on www.chilliwacktimes.com).

Farren says he has heard gunfire and yelling in the past at the New Mark. The initial explosion on Wednesday caused Farren's young dog to urinate on the floor.

"It scared him so much, he was just shaking," he said. "You could feel the shock wave go right through your body. It woke me up from a dead sleep."

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Lea-Anne Dunlop said that police are treating the fire as suspicious and continue to investigate.