Loud explosions and thick black smoke filled Perryville Road Sunday afternoon after a car caught fire. it happened at around 2pm in Loves Park, just south of the intersection of Perryville and Mulford roads. The entire road was closed for an about an hour.

The car was nothing more than a charred hulk after the Audi Sedan caught fire. The driver was able to escape after someone told him his car was on fire.

“The gentleman was driving down the road and a lady pulled up alongside of him and told him his car was on fire,” said Chief Phil Foley, Loves Park Fire Department. “He didn’t even know it was on fire.”

Fortunately, he was able to pull over. Fire units were called to the scene but by then it was too late.

“When I got here, the engine companies were in route and you could hear the magnesium explode. They were glowing and they bounced out onto the roadway and so we advised the fire crews to stay back,” said Foley.

Perryville was closed for about an hour before firefighters were finally able to extinguish the blaze and clean up the scene. It turns out that older Audi’s have a history of problems with fires. The company has issued recalls for potential fuel leaks and electrical fires.

If you drive an older Audi, you may want to check recall lists either with a dealer or online. That’s because the defects do become more dangerous as parts deteriorate with age.