Spend any time on American highways and you’re bound to see some wild stuff. Road rage, needlessly aggressive bumper stickers, and cars in shocking disrepair are just part of the driving landscape. But not much can prepare you for watching the car ahead catch fire and keep right on driving before eventually getting wise. 

Maybe you’ve seen a car fire, but you likely haven’t seen a Kia sedan cruising down the highway totally ablaze

A viral Instagram video shows a gray Honda Civic driving into a cloud of smoke in an HOV lane on an Atlanta, Georgia, highway. Then viewers get a glimpse of the source of the smoke: a dark Kia sedan spitting flames and debris across the road. 

But here’s the kicker: the Kia doesn’t stop. Even as the car is actively on fire, the driver keeps on cruising in the HOV lane. Early in the video, the Honda Civic decides to take a “nope” attitude to the smoky, fiery conditions, and changes lanes over a double white line to get out of the HOV lane.

Likely a prudent move, too. Moments later, the driver notices the spreading fire and crosses five lanes of traffic to exit the highway. All the while, the Kia spat chunks of burning rubber and plastic onto the highway’s surface.

By the end of the video, the burning Kia looked more like a budget “Ghost Rider” or a four-wheeled meteorite than a sensible sedan. In short, it took way too long for the driver to respond to or even acknowledge the life-threatening condition of the car. 

If you suspect your car is on fire, don’t do what this guy did

Now, I’ve responded to blazing vehicles with a Kentucky fire department multiple times. And if there is one thing to take away, it’s to respect the seriousness of the situation.

For starters, if you suspect your car is on fire, stop the vehicle and exit. Your ICE vehicle carries flammable liquid. As for EVs, lithium-ion battery architecture can kick off a phenomenon known as thermal runaway, wherein battery packs burn in a chain reaction.

It’s a much more survivable situation to be outside the vehicle should it burn. Also, it’s a good idea, especially in classic cars, to keep a small fire extinguisher on board. If you catch a fire early, you can use the P-A-S-S method to extinguish the fire.

P- Pull the safety pin.

A- Aim the extinguisher at the base of your target fire.

S- Squeeze the operating handle.

S- Sweep the extinguisher’s nozzle back and forth.