It looks like a scene from an outback horror movie.
A white four-wheel drive erupts in flames as melting wires cause the horn to blare across the desert landscape.
The incineration near the remote community of Balgo in northern Western Australia occurred this month, but four-wheel drive experts warn it's not an isolated incident.
The fires, while relatively rare, are caused by dry grass and spinifex seeds becoming trapped in the hot underbelly of vehicles.
Matt Raudonokis, who edits the magazine 4x4 Australia, says it's a relatively little-known hazard.
"Any vehicle travelling through spinifex country is susceptible whether it's diesel or petrol," Raudonokis says.
"It's because the oils in the spinifex seeds are highly combustible and they catch fire really quickly.
"It's something everyone should be aware of, but most people aren't."
Wet season fuels growth
Remote community residents are reporting an increased risk in recent months, due to a big wet season fuelling vegetation growth.
Exact numbers are hard to track, but communities along the Tanami Road in the East Kimberley have told the ABC at least three cars have been incinerated in the past six months.
Raudonokis says he saw the fire risk first-hand during a recent expedition.
"What we found travelling through the Gibson Desert was that with a lot of spinifex around, it was getting built up around the exhaust system under the cars every 15 to 20 minutes," he says.
"Sometimes after only 15 to 20 minutes it was smouldering."
'It was a near miss'
The most recent incident occurred in mid-May and was captured on mobile phone video by a Balgo resident.
Locals say the vehicle was a hire car.
Dave Whitelaw, who heads the local Wirrimanu Aboriginal Corporation, says the car was destroyed.
"There were no reports of injuries, but from what I can gather it was a pretty near miss," he says.
"There have been other instances of vehicles travelling through the desert and picking up debris and catching alight, so it's quite a risky situation.
"It's definitely a topical point of discussion around the communities, and a reminder to be vigilant about safety."
High-risk time
Four-wheel drive vehicles are the lifeblood of many remote farms, stations and Aboriginal communities.
They're often the only way to access water points, cultural sites or to head into town for vital supplies.
The risk of vehicle fire is higher during April and May, when residents have to push through overgrown tracks in the wake of wet season rains.
It's also the peak time for southern holiday-makers to head north, venturing onto isolated four-wheel drive tracks such as the Canning Stock Route.
Concern DPFs raise fire risk
There have been lengthy discussions in four-wheel drive circles about Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) increasing the fire risk.
The filters are installed in newer-model vehicles to reduce air pollutants by capturing and burning built-up soot at temperatures of up to 600 degrees Celsius.
While it's not known whether DPF burn-offs caused the most recent fires, the technology has been problematic for a number of manufacturers.
Ford, Mazda and Toyota last month lost an appeal in a class action relating to faulty DPFs.
In 2020 Toyota issued a recall of nearly 23,000 LandCruisers, warning that accumulated vegetation "may combust due to the high temperature during regeneration".
Toyota installed what it described as "modified heatshields" on the vehicles to help reduce the fire risk.
Some four-wheel drive enthusiasts are paying extra to have manual rather than automatic DPFs installed, so they can ensure the burn-offs aren't triggered in high-risk environments.
However, experts warn there's a chance any car could combust in certain circumstances, whether or not a DPF is installed.
Expert says stay vigilant
Matt Raudonokis's advice to prevent a car fire is to inspect the underbelly of your vehicle regularly for trapped vegetation and always carry a fire extinguisher.
"The risk is always there," he says.
"Fire extinguishers are recommended for everyone doing remote travel, and you really need to stop and have a close look at the underneath of the car regularly."
He says there are more inexperienced drivers on remote tracks than ever before.
"There are a lot more people travelling, whether it's for work or recreation.
"Not everyone's educated about the risks and sometimes you only learn from experience.
"Some of these remote places, you can be thousands of kilometres away from the nearest town, so if your vehicle burns down you're going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere."
