Car bursts into flames on Wigan driveway after apparent engine fault

A crew from Hindley fire station was called to reports of a vehicle fire in Tram Street, Platt Bridge, at approximately 12.45am this morning (Sunday, October 14). On arrival, they found a Kia Sportage well alight on a resident's driveway, with the flames coming from the bonnet of the car.

The owners of the Sportage, which was a 66 plate (produced between September 2016 and February 2017), reported they had last driven the car around 10pm the previous evening.

Crews were in attendance for just over an hour, but Watch Manager Mark Anderson said the situation could have been much worse.

"Most vehicles in the area were parked right next to their houses," he said.

"Fortunately this wasn't, otherwise it would have spread to the house."

The mysterious circumstances of the vehicle blaze have not yet been established, but Mark was quick to reassure any other owners of the same make and model of vehicle.

"I don't think this is a common problem with the Sportage," he said.

"We had a spate of Vauxhall Zafiras setting on fire, countrywide, a few years ago but this seems to be an isolated incident."

A recall of older model Kia Sportage cars was issued in the USA last year, but no such recalls have been issued for the UK.