The motorist was driving his silver Mondeo through Westhoughton when the inside of the vehicle suddenly began to fill up with smoke.

He pulled over outside a line of terrace houses and started banging on doors asking for a bucket of water to throw over the engine.

But by the time he returned to his car it was engulfed in flames.
Heat from the fire caused the window of one house to shatter and fascia boarding on the property to melt before firemen could attend and extinguish the blaze.

Fortunately the house was empty at the time and no-one was injured.
The driver, who lives in Horwich, also escaped injury, but firemen say he was left shaken.

His car was completely destroyed in the fire which occurred on Chorley Road at Wingates shortly before 10pm on Wednesday.

Police also attended the scene as thick smoke was billowing across the carriageway and causing a danger to passing motorists.

Officers remained there for some time re-directing traffic.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.