Finlay Hind works at the tyre company and said the fire affected a van that they only acquired on July 25, 2026.
He thanked East Service Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) for their quick response to prevent further damage to the 101-year-old business.
Finlay said: “It could have been a complete loss. It’s a tyre garage – we’ve got petrol tanks, diesel tanks that have petrol and diesel in them.
“This could have been a lot of worse. We just want to find out who did it really.”
ESFRS said firefighters were called at 10.39pm to reports of a van fire.
A spokesperson for the fire service said: “There were two fire engines in attendance from Eastbourne.
“Crews extinguished the fire by 11.24pm when the stop message came in.
“There were no reports of any injuries. The fire is believed to have been started deliberately.”
The police were also in attendance on Wednesday night.
A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “No injuries have been reported, and no arrests have been made at this time.
“The fire is being treated as suspicious, and officers are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry in an ongoing investigation.
“Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has relevant information such as CCTV or mobile footage is encouraged to report it to us online or by calling 101 quoting serial 1602 of 9/9.”
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The van fire from above. Photo: Sussex News and Pictures