Firefighters in Nanaimo were forced to act quickly when a Ford Focus station wagon burst into flames today.

The fire broke out while the car was being driven along the 800 block of Townsite Road on Wednesday morning.

A passersby flagged down the driver to warn him about the flames erupting from underneath his car shortly after 11 a.m.

The driver pulled over and called the fire department.

He appeared shaken by the incident, but was uninjured.