A Kirkcaldy man has told of the moment he fled his car as it burst into flames.
James Scott was driving the BMW on the town’s Randolph Road on Sunday night when it caught fire.
He managed to run clear before thick, black smoke and flames engulfed the vehicle.
The 24-year-old IT consultant says he first knew something was wrong when he heard a loud noise before the car lost all power.
He told The Courier: “There was a big clunk sound and the car dropped into neutral then moments later I had no power at all.
“Luckily I manged to coast the car to the side of the road and as I was sat checking, I suddenly noticed the thick, black smoke coming from under the bonnet.
“Thankfully I quickly realised that the car was on fire underneath and feared an electrical fault could activate the central locking system, trapping me inside.
Fears of being trapped inside burning car
“I dread to think what might have happened had I been stuck inside the burning car.
“I immediately dived out only to see that flames were also now coming from the front of the vehicle.
“It was frightening just how quickly the flames took hold – it completely engulfed in minutes.”
James was physically unharmed but says he is still in shock at the incident.
“Thankfully I came out of it unscathed but it was particularly shocking to see the extent of the damage caused by the fire,” he said.
“I can’t yet access the vehicle as what caused the car to ignite is till being investigated.
Investigation into cause of fire
“I’ve seen the burnt-out wreck of the car in the compound and it looks like a bomb has gone off underneath it.
“It’s completely burnt out at the front and almost certainly a write-off.
James is now liaising with his insurers to determine who is liable for the damage to the BMW 320d model.
He has also urged people to act quickly if they suspect something might be going wrong with their vehicle while driving.
He added: “I went from driving along the road as normal to the car being completely alight.
“The best advice I could give would be to get out and get far away from the vehicle, then raise the alarm.
“As bad as it seems at the time, a car can be replaced while, lives could be potentially lost.”
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